Tire may have caused fatal bus crash

July 19, 2011|Associated Press

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - A tour bus probably had a front tire blowout just before it veered off a highway and overturned, killing two passengers and injuring 35 people, three seriously, State Police and a company spokesman said yesterday.

The driver of the Niagara Falls-bound bus, which was carrying Indian nationals from Washington, D.C., lost control Sunday and ran off Interstate 390 into woods near Avoca, 55 miles south of Rochester.

Ambulances and helicopters took seven of the most seriously injured victims to a hospital in Rochester, and three were in guarded condition yesterday. State Police said they are expected to survive.

The bus driver, John Dinardo Jr., 58, had no history of driving violations or criminal activity and his logbook was in order, State Police Superintendent Joseph D’Amico said.

“There is no evidence of any excess speed, of any alcohol, of any driver fatigue, or of any other violation,’’ D’Amico said. “We believe it was just a blowout of the right front tire, but the investigation is continuing.’’

Based on markings in the road and witness statements, “everything appeared to be normal, traveling along,’’ D’Amico said. “They heard this loud bang, which we’re assuming was the blowout on the front tire.’’

The bus veered on the roadway and then ended up on the embankment, where it flipped over to the driver’s side and slid into a wooded area.

Investigators planned to interview Dinardo and witnesses and to inspect the vehicle to determine whether there were any mechanical problems, State Police spokesman Mark O’Donnell said.

Twenty passengers remained hospitalized yesterday.

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