Bus Accident Near Truckee Kills One, Many Injured

On Saturday, a bus overturned on Highway 80 near Truckee killing one and injuring many. The bus was carrying employees to work at a Lake Tahoe ski resort. The deceased victim was ejected from the bus. The crash is under investigation.

Twenty-five occupants on board, including the driver, were injured and taken to area hospitals, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Steve Skeen. Four people were taken by helicopter from the scene and one person transferred between hopsitals by air.

A spokeswoman for one hospital treating accident victims said one person is in critical condition and five are serious. The Associated Press is reporting that five people were critically hurt. Skeen said the driver suffered significant injuries.

The shuttle bus is owned by the Resort at Squaw Creek and was carrying employees from their homes in the Reno area to jobs in Squaw Valley. The crash occurred in clear weather at 8:28 a.m. on westbound Interstate 80 west of Floriston and just east of the Hirschdale exit.

Investigators are looking into driver fatigue as the cuae of the crash. CHP spokesman Steve Skeen said Sunday the driver remains in the hospital with head trauma and is no condition to be questioned at length. The crash happened at about 8:30 a.m. in clear conditions, with no other vehicles near the bus, police said. Skeen said the 66-year-old driver may have been on the road since 5:30 a.m. or before.

The passengers were cooks, housekeepers and dishwashers who boarded a shuttle bus each day from Reno to the Lake Tahoe ski resort where they worked. The victims’ injuries consist mostly of broken bones, head injuries and lacerations, she said.

Investigators are still waiting for a toxicology report on the driver and a mechanical inspection of the 1995 Euro bus.

One of the dangers of bus travel is that typically passengers are not secured in their seats by safety belts or restraints. Consequently, if the bus makes an unanticipated turn or sudden stop, passengers who are not sitting in their seats (and even those who are) are likely to be seriously injured or possibly killed, as with this accident.

One of the other obvious concerns is the passengers are totally reliant on the driver. If the driver is impaired, fatigued, or has a poor driving history, the passengers are not likely to be aware of those issues.

For more information you are welocme to contact Sacramento personal injury lawyer, Moseley Collins.