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Airless in Mississippi (70.3.194.142)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 09, 2004 - 12:06 pm: | |
By Steve Barnes
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Reuters) - A tour bus shuttling gamblers from Chicago to casinos in Mississippi crashed and flipped in northeastern Arkansas early on Saturday, killing 14 people, police said.
The bus was carrying about 30 people when it overturned in a single-vehicle incident in Marion, Arkansas. Police described a grisly scene of righting the bus and discovering the crushed bodies of passengers underneath the vehicle.
Numerous passengers were taken to hospitals in nearby Memphis, Tennessee, about 15 miles southeast of the crash site, and their condition was not immediately known.
The roof of the bus was shorn from the structure that rested in a field by the side of the Interstate 55 highway.
"Troops who responded to the scene were able to initially confirm nine dead at the scene, but when wreckers arrived and the bus was uprighted, another five dead were discovered beneath it," said Bill Sadler, a spokesman for the Arkansas State Police.
Sadler said there was light mist at the time crash, but the cause of the deadly wreck was unknown at this time.
"Most of those who have been able to give statements have said something to the effect that, 'We knew we were in Arkansas and on I-55, and getting close to Mississippi, and the next thing we knew we were overturned in the median'," Sadler said.
Arkansas police said the bus was owned by Walters Charter and Tours of Chicago.
The bus was taking gamblers to Tunica, Mississippi, which is nestled near the Tennessee and Arkansas border. The northwest Mississippi town draws gamblers from the region, including Chicago, because, it is near a major highway.
The bus left Chicago on Friday night and was scheduled to return Chicago on Monday.
The National Transportation Safety Board (news - web sites) was en route to investigate, police said. |
JJJ (172.200.205.232)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 09, 2004 - 10:33 pm: | |
Couple of early observations.
The trip from Chicago to Memphis is about 8 hours.
Would like to learn the level of corrosion on that old Chicago bus.
Would like to know the breakdown of fatalities inside the bus and ejected from bus.
Some of the "destruction" seen in photo's was caused by rescue personnel to free trapped victims.
Does not seem that the bus actually hit anything solid...just flipped and slid to a stop.
JJJ |
FAST FRED (4.245.128.242)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, October 10, 2004 - 5:51 am: | |
Seeing how unglued that coach came from merly flipping on its side makes one appreciate the earlier coachs or even stronger Skoolies.
It didn't even roll over!!!!!!
FAST FRED |
John Rigby (24.174.238.253)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, October 10, 2004 - 8:41 am: | |
JJJ.
The bus to me looked like a MCI 102?
Not very old.
John |
John that newguy (66.19.72.117)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, October 10, 2004 - 8:49 am: | |
The full story's here:
MARION, Ark. - The lone bus belonging to a mom-and-pop tour operator careened off an interstate and overturned early Saturday, killing 15 Chicago-area travelers on their way to a Mississippi casino. Witnesses told police the bus, which carried family and friends of the tour company owner, was drifting. |
John Rigby (24.174.238.253)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, October 10, 2004 - 9:01 am: | |
From the above artical it would seem another tour driver fell asleep. Work all day drive all night should not be allowed.
John |
TWO DOGS (63.185.80.13)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, October 10, 2004 - 9:25 am: | |
I THINK SLEEP ALSO |
Johnny (4.174.109.218)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, October 10, 2004 - 9:38 am: | |
Sleep, or maybe he had a heart attack--he wasn't a young man. |
Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary) (68.79.101.181)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, October 10, 2004 - 11:08 am: | |
Bluebird is the only coach manufacturer that is DOT-Ceritfied for a rollover.
I have personally seen two survive a rollover.
Gary |
Rodger in WA (64.70.24.211)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, October 10, 2004 - 11:28 am: | |
An important incentive I had for going from a plastic motorhome to a bus was crash-worthiness. It was my belief that in the case of a rollover, the upper part of a bus - unlike a sticks and staples MH - would likely hold together sufficiently to protect the occupants from being crushed by the chassis. It appears that was not the case in this accident. |
Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary) (68.79.101.181)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, October 10, 2004 - 12:14 pm: | |
Actually, to my knowledge only Bluebirds and Waynes have had rollover-worthiness certs from DOT, but wayne never made RV's.
Alas, even Bluebird has eliminated the rollover safety due to market pressure for "Smooth" sides, they eliminaated toe "Riveted" sides. 17 kids lost their lives because of this move to fashion over form.
Gary |
Derek (Derek_L) (24.83.196.239)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, October 10, 2004 - 12:45 pm: | |
I've got some pictures that stand up for the integrity of bus construction... A MCI 9 rear ends a semi trailer at dead stop, only crushes the first 4 feet of the bus, the rest is "intact"... Let's see you do that with a stick and staple. |
Lin (66.245.216.207)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, October 10, 2004 - 1:02 pm: | |
Being able to withstand a rollover was, at least at one time, a criteria in school bus design. Our 1967 Superior has so many steel ribs around it that there was not even enough room between them to fit the rooftop AC's. Although I felt bad about it, we had to cut two since air conditioning is more important most of the time. |
FAST FRED (4.245.212.133)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, October 10, 2004 - 3:37 pm: | |
Superior made MH that were very like the Skoolie in terms of body construction.
They are older so cost very little , and with one of the newer fuel rail electroic timed diesels might be quiet enough , even with the Fwd engine.
We ran a 22 ft Superior to AK from Ct with only a shock mount needing rewelding.
Not bad for a $4,000 coach.
But that reliable RV 440 Chrysler sure did like the fuel!
FAST FRED |
Lin (66.245.216.207)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, October 10, 2004 - 5:19 pm: | |
Fred
We had a 24ft 1974 MH with a 440 engine. It got about 7mpg, but it was an easy maintenance vehicle. This Superior is 36 foot with a rear mounted Toroflow V6. It has 4 two foot by four foot storage bays on the bottom and a factory raised roof to about 6'4". We get 10+mpg now. At some point, if we keep it, I will look into a different engine and an auto transmission (I know you don't like them). We haven't been driving it much lately, so aside from getting and keeping everything ship-shape, there is no need for big stuff.
There is a lot to be said about the benefits of an intercity coach over this one, but this seems to be a pretty decent compromise for us now. |
FAST FRED (4.245.221.195)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, October 11, 2004 - 5:34 am: | |
The newer DT 466 with Allison should be at any truck wrecking yard.
There cheap , powerfull and QUIET , compared to most diesels .
Saw one stuck into an early Flex and the gent claimed 15mpg at speed!
Since you dont have the rotation hassle , any modern eng- tranny package should be a big improvement.
And your Superior should be able to roll, with the best of them.
FAST FRED |
Ian Giffin (Admin) (64.231.11.72)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, October 15, 2004 - 10:40 am: | |
It appears all but one patient was accounted for in the initial reports. One news report said the rest of the roof was cut off by responding rescue crews. By looking at the file footage from a News 3 whirlybird in AK, it looks like rescue crews also cut the driver's side of the bus off right down (up) to the baggage bays.
Another recent report says investigators measured the bus's skid marks at the scene, which would indicate the driver had applied the brakes (or woke up in time to).
All reports say there was a light mist in the air that morning. I wonder if hydroplaning might have played a part at all. Dunno if you guys have experienced that, but I have and there is no worse feeling of out-of-control-ness, not even on ice and snow.
The first $50,000. wrongful death law suit has also been filed. Figures!
It's a sad day when all you can do is sit at the side of the road and pray you made it out alive, and pray for many of your friends and relatives lying dead all around you.
By odd coincindence, I have a charter bus full of friends going on a yearly jaunt to Niagara-on-the-Lake and Casino Niagara on Oct 30. Guess who I'll be thinking of? Guess how I'll be driving?
Ian
www.busnut.com |
RJ Long (Rjlong) (67.182.110.77)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, October 15, 2004 - 12:10 pm: | |
Just make sure you get plenty of rest before leaving, Ian!!
RJ
PD4106-2784
Fresno CA |