A Tour Bus travelling back from the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn., to Chinatown, New York City crashed on I95 near the exit for the Huntington Parkway. News reports have confirmed at least 13 dead with many others injured, some critically. A spokesman for the New york State Police indicated that he expected the death toll to rise as several of the critically injured appeared to be in grave condition.
At least one report to 911 claimed that the bus was cut off by a tracker trailer that then left the scene. Police are interviewing witnesses and reviewing video to try to determine the accuracy of that report and if true, to locate the truck and its driver. The investigation should be helped by the fact that the driver of the bus has apparently survived the accident although he was injured. Police expect to interview him soon and expect the interview to be very helpful in determining the cause of the accident.
If the report of the 18 wheeler causing the accident turns out to be credible, serious questions will need to be answered by the truck driver and his employer. Among those questions will be was the driver in compliance with federal law in terms of the number of hours he had been behind the wheel. As we all know, fatigued truck drivers have been the cause of many tragic highway accidents over the years. Studies have concluded that fatigued drivers pose as much if not more risk to others on the road as do intoxicated drivers.
In the late 1990’s STSW Partner Andrew C. White sent shock waves through the trucking industry by bringing and winning the first ever Federal Criminal Prosecution of a trucking company who had systematically violated the laws regarding the number of hours a trucker may legally be on the road. Mr. White now helps victims of trucking accidents in New York and around the United States by taking advantage of his unique experience and expertise. If this report turns out to be accurate it will be imperative for the family members of those killed and maimed in this tragedy to seek out an attorney who knows the ins and outs of the trucking industry and has a track record of punishing them for non-compliance with these important safety laws.