BusTalk

JimmiB · Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2011 9:15 am Post subject: Greyhound crash in PA

On Saturday morning, August 13, 2011, a Greyhound bus from NYC to Columbus, Ohio overturned on the Pennsylvania Turnpike near the Lancaster/Lebanon exit. The bus had left NYC at 11:00PM Friday, making a stop in Philadelphia. The bus was also to stop in Harrisburg and was about 25 miles east of there when it crashed. According to news reports the coach was westbound in the center lane when the left front of the bus hit the concrete divider. The bus rode along the barrier then shot across the travel lanes and travelled up an embankment before flipping onto its left side.
Twenty nine people were aboard and 14 taken to hospitals in Hershey, Lebanon and Lancaster. The driver, who was injured, was identified as Kareem Edward Farmer, 24, of Philadelphia.

Photos by Dan Marschka, Lancaster Newspapers.
Information from Harrisburg Patriot-News.

HwyHaulier · Joined: 16 Dec 2007 Posts: 932 Location: Harford County, MD

JimmiB -

Thanks for posting report on this tragedy on the PA TPK. I'll wait on the NTSB work,
tho I have my own thoughts of what may have happened...

........................Vern......................

traildriver · Joined: 26 Mar 2011 Posts: 2701 Location: South Florida

That's terrible news to wake up to this morning. My thoughts are with those injured.

What I find curious is that it appears the rescuers cut a hole in roof, and that the emergency hatches appear closed....

JimmiB · Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 12:41 am Post subject:

Vern, like you I'll keep my thoughts to myself for now.
traildriver, I don't know what to make of that either.

Rob · Joined: 02 Dec 2010 Posts: 70

I think that's called "I have a Hurst tool and I'm gonna use it!" or perhaps a bigger hole is easier to get me into and you on a spine board out of.

I think one of the key things to be grateful about is, everyone is alive.

In my youthful years I attended a Delaware Fire School session on bus rescue presented by Greyhound and they were animate of how the motor coaches were designed to hold passengers like eggs in a crate (and school busses were tin cans on wheels with our most prized possessions). I am still surprised in this day that "passenger comfort" overides the seat belt laws. The problem is called gravity and the laws of motion when the rig is no longer on its wheels.

JimmiB · Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 12:47 am Post subject:

A short update. First, even though Greyhound said 29 passengers were on board, it was really 19.
The driver tested negative for alcohol and drugs, and was well within the limit on his driving time. He was cited for 2 misdemeanor charges related to not keeping a vehicle under control.

traildriver · Joined: 26 Mar 2011 Posts: 2701 Location: South Florida