NJ School Bus Crash - Body Off Frame

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by Stu & Filo. T

My 2c. I'm looking at the pictures & the dump truck is full of dirt or gravel & the truck is sitting maybe a 100 ft or so back from the bus, yet the spilled gravel is right at the bus area on the road. Did the truck driver move his truck back if so why.

They said the truck traveled a distance after the impact before coming to a halt.

[weboughtabus]

I just saw some pictures on there that show just how extensive the damage was. This was from an article on Washington Post. I read another article this morning that the State Police stated the bus was performing an illegal U-Turn when it was struck, probably at the official-use-only turnaround pictured here.

[o1marc]

That pic clearly shows the impact damage to the frame, That was a stout impact.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Stu & Filo. T

My 2c. I'm looking at the pictures & the dump truck is full of dirt or gravel & the truck is sitting maybe a 100 ft or so back from the bus, yet the spilled gravel is right at the bus area on the road. Did the truck driver move his truck back if so why.

Is it sitting back or in front?

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Is it sitting back or in front?

I believe the bus continued on to the left of the pic of the bus in your post. I can find no pics with the bus and the truck in the same shot.

[Stu & Filo. T]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Is it sitting back or in front?

Looking at the pic the dump truck is facing same direction as the stopped traffic, My initial thought was that the truck rear ended the bus & forced it into the guard rail, But I'm not a forensic expert & for the most part I stay at motel 6's not holiday inn's

[Stu & Filo. T]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Is it sitting back or in front?

Looking at the pic the dump truck is facing same direction as the stopped traffic, My initial thought was that the truck rear ended the bus & forced it into the guard rail, But I'm not a forensic expert & for the most part I stay at motel 6's not holiday inn's

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/attach...6&d=1526663971

Plus you can see where the rear end of the bus pulled some mud with it when it slide to the rt after forcing the frontend into the guard rail

[weboughtabus]

Originally Posted by Stu & Filo. T

Looking at the pic the dump truck is facing same direction as the stopped traffic, My initial thought was that the truck rear ended the bus & forced it into the guard rail, But I'm not a forensic expert & for the most part I stay at motel 6's not holiday inn's

Yeah, that's an entirely different truck. I didn't see any pictures which had both vehicles in it. The truck involved in the crash was heavily damaged, as well.

[Stu & Filo. T]

Originally Posted by weboughtabus

Yeah, that's an entirely different truck. I didn't see any pictures which had both vehicles in it. The truck involved in the crash was heavily damaged, as well.

Ok your right it's not the same truck, Like I said I'm not a forensic expert.

[cadillackid]

the latest is that the bus miseed it's exit, and made a U-turn across the freeway into the path of the truck..
-Christopher

[o1marc]

The truck in one pic shows it is full of dirt. I think all the dirt in the roadway at the bus is from the top of the load in the truck that didn't decelerate as quickly as the bus and truck. Which explains why the truck had no chance of stopping fully loaded. Not to mention the bad rap the truck company already has, this truck doesn't look like a well maintained truck and probably needed the extra 200 yards to get stopped. That said, I apply absolutely no responsibility to the truck.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

the latest is that the bus miseed it's exit, and made a U-turn across the freeway into the path of the truck..
-Christopher

Yep. That was the story as of yesterday, too.

[2martins]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

the latest is that the bus miseed it's exit, and made a U-turn across the freeway into the path of the truck..
-Christopher

Does this mean that if the bus driver lives s/he will be going to jail?

[Dapplecreek]

Originally Posted by 2martins

Does this mean that if the bus driver lives s/he will be going to jail?

I should think that the knowledge of what happened would be a fair amount of punishment all by itself... but I don't want him or her driving a bus any more.

[cadillackid]

at thew very least that driver will possibly face charges... im sure they have to do a lot more investigation into things like was the dump truck speeding grossly.. ultimately in these kinds of crashes they usually cite the driver pulling into moving traffic as the at-fault, but if a vehicle were going WELL over the speed limit they can side with the driver who pulled into traffic.. from what I was reading the bus driver had a very speckled past.. im surprised they still had a CDL at all.. illegal turn, turning into moving traffic, bad past. doesnt bode well for that bus driver.. there will also be lawsuits.. likely lots of them against the schools and the bus driver and yes possibly ewven against the bus manufacturer if anyone that inspects the wreckage has a chance at finding fault wit hthe bus design or performance,, people these days will sue anyone and everyone..
-Christopher

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

at thew very least that driver will possibly face charges... im sure they have to do a lot more investigation into things like was the dump truck speeding grossly.. ultimately in these kinds of crashes they usually cite the driver pulling into moving traffic as the at-fault, but if a vehicle were going WELL over the speed limit they can side with the driver who pulled into traffic.. from what I was reading the bus driver had a very speckled past.. im surprised they still had a CDL at all.. illegal turn, turning into moving traffic, bad past. doesnt bode well for that bus driver.. there will also be lawsuits.. likely lots of them against the schools and the bus driver and yes possibly ewven against the bus manufacturer if anyone that inspects the wreckage has a chance at finding fault wit hthe bus design or performance,, people these days will sue anyone and everyone..
-Christopher

From the pics I highly doubt the driver survived. Even though the hit was at the rear corner, it caused the drivers seat area to twist off. The steering wheel is sticking out from the nose of the bus in the pic.

[weboughtabus]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

From the pics I highly doubt the driver survived. Even though the hit was at the rear corner, it caused the drivers seat area to twist off. The steering wheel is sticking out from the nose of the bus in the pic.

The only fatalities reported thus far were a teacher and a student. I haven't looked into the driver's condition, but I'd imagine they sustained significant injury.

[cadillackid]

I was thinking I read that the driver received non life threatening injuries, had surgery and is out of the hospital.. the dude is 77,

https://patch.com/new-jersey/paramus...-bus-crash-idd

-Christopher

[o1marc]

I heard the fatalities were from the back of the bus where the impact was, and it was a student and a chaperon, I later heard it was teacher. But the driver escaped without major injury. Vehicular manslaughter at the least.

[Gustav]

The bus driver is in the wrong here as he attempted an illegal turn thru the median. When he turned into the median, we do not know from which lane he started from. The truck may have clipped the rear of the bus due to tail swing if the bus was starting from the left lane, not realizing the bus was making an illegal turn. If the bus started from the right lane or shoulder, the truck would have been moving to the left lane, if not in it already, and had to swing hard to the right lane and hit the bus there. Lawyers will be all over this one!