Nor Cal Bus Crash

[daepp]

When the Fedex semi hit head on into the tour bus, the bus was immediately engulfed in flames. Someone needs to answer "why" in order to protect passengers in the future.

The US learned the hard way at the beginning of WWII that sending soldiers out in gasoline powered tanks etc resulted in horrific deaths from fire that could have otherwise be avoided if diesel was used.

I wonder if "green" peons to the AQMD by the bus company had anything to do with this? Did the bus burn diesel, or CNG, Propane, gasoline?

So sad for the victims and their families - God bless them.

[trekkor]

Local news is reporting that the truck was burning prior to impact.

[stomachmonkey]

Horrible.

I stress every time my kids go on a field trip or to and from camp.

Sad

[Laneco]

The bus was a typical tour bus, diesel powered and rear engined. The fuel tanks on these types of coaches are middle to rear of the sides of the chassis (no where near the front). They are a unibody construction and the tank(s) are enclosed within the body. Local buses are often CNG/LNG but over-the-road tour buses are not due to spotty filling stations.

Something to point out... Many of the people in the bus reported beating on windows and breaking windows to escape. Nearly every side window on this type of coach is an emergency exit. Lift the lever (marked with lettering or lever itself is red), push the window- get out NOW. There are also emergency roof exits.

Not saying this contributed to any deaths, just suggesting that when you sit in a commercial bus, you look at the window and KNOW if it is an emergency escape and how to use it. It could save your life.

angela

[GH85Carrera]

My biggest concern is the double trailer trucks. Those things scare me. The animation on TV was a FedEx double trailer. I don't know if that is accurate or not. It was just the TV news.

[Laneco]

It was a set of doubles. Lot of investigation to be done on this with questions regarding the passenger car involved, etc. The obvious problem is crossing the center median and entering oncoming lanes, but WHY? Medical problem? Or did something happen that caused the Fed-Ex driver to take a violent swerve?

No idea how this will play out. Prayers to those impacted and their families...

angela

[Oh Haha]

Sad story all around.



In some states, they run triple trailers.

As the supervisor of CDL drivers, situations like this will be brought up in our next safety meeting.

[daepp]

If the Fedex truck was already on fire then my theory is wrong.

I am also assuming the tractor on the semi was diesel, so I wonder if maybe his brakes could have ignited?

You just don't very often have fires like that. I have commuted in So Cal for decades, and short of an engine or electrical fire - which are almost always very slow to progress - you just seldom hear of such horrific burnings. Horrible accidents yes - but if not killed on impact, most get out in time. This one seems to have ignited immediately.

FWIW - just speculation on my part. I have not training in any of this.

[Bugsinrugs]

I don't think the driver of the big rig fell asleep. The median in this area is very wide with a slope on both sides for drainage. If his rig was on fire he might have been passed out before impact. Time will tell.

[speeder]

Something very unusual happened but it had nothing to do with air quality regulations or other such nonsense.

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by speeder

Something very unusual happened but it had nothing to do with air quality regulations or other such nonsense.

Though it was an excellent combination of "won't someone think of the children?!?!" combined with a swipe at the "green" crowd.

Terrible tragedy, and especially horrific for the parents of the kids. God speed.

[speeder]

The FedEx truck was in flames before it crossed the center divider and collided with the bus. I think that it's pretty safe to say that the big fire was the truck's fuel, (diesel), until it ignited the bus's fuel, also diesel.

The irony of the OP is that there are huge safety problems in the motor coach industry, ( tour busses), that will only be solved with a lot more regulation and oversight. Not necessarily this particular bus operator, (they might have maintained their equipment to a "T"), but in general it's a scumbag industry with major safety and equipment violations being the norm. Horrendous crashes are very commonplace due to faulty brakes, overworked drivers, etc.

If it's left to that industry to police itself, most will run bald tires and unserviced brakes with some meth smoking monkey behind the wheel.

So yeah, excessive govt. regulation is clearly the problem.

[speeder]

Ignorance, like rust, never sleeps.

[scottmandue]

I didn't know any of them but some of the kids are/were local to me

I believe Dennis is correct about the tour bus industry (from what I have heard)

However no amount of tour bus regulation is going to save you if a Semi crosses over and hits you head on.

[Noah930]

Before we go demanding and mandating regulations, perhaps we should first figure out what happened.

Condolences to the dead and their families & friends.

[speeder]

Before we go demanding and mandating regulations, perhaps we should first figure out what happened.



Condolences to the dead and their families & friends.

The tour bus industry needs serious regulation and oversight. It has nothing to do with this particular crash.

[HardDrive]

Have to wonder if cargo in the Fed Ex truck ignited.....

[speeder]

If the cargo/trailer caught on fire, I would think that the driver could have pulled to the side of the road and got the fk out if the cab.

[daepp]

I think if the tour bus industry becomes less safe that's a legitimate concern - whether carrying children OR adults. I know many busses have switched to compressed gases, but I am not knowledgeable in that area and wonder if it there is a safety issue.

I know the AQMD is also after diesel. Gas is not as safe as diesel, and when you have that many people being transported and confined in one vehicle, I think it's a legitimate question. I didn't think I was being anti-anyting. I am for clean air - but not at any cost. And if you look at the bus company's web page, count the references to how "green" they are.

[Baz]

How did the FedEx truck catch fire?