OGA Laredo Bus Crash Investigation Update 1
As the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and The Texas Department of Public Safety (TXDPS) continue their investigation into the fatal May 14, 2016, Charter Bus Accident on Highway 83 in Webb County, additional information about the crash, the bus driver’s identity, and OGA’s Safety and Maintenance History have been revealed.
The driver, Porfirio Aguirre Vasquez, 29, of Pharr, Texas was released from the hospital yesterday and will be interviewed – along with representatives from OGA Charters – by NTSB Investigators later this week.
According to news reports, one lawsuit has already been filed against OGA Charters in connection with the crash and many more are expected to follow.
Investigation Reveals History of Maintenance Problems with OGA Charter Buses
Because the NTSB’s official investigation will likely take up to one year to complete, the Bus Accident Lawyers at Zehl & Associates have assembled an independent team of Accident Reconstruction and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulation experts to investigate the tragic Laredo Bus Crash and determine whether driver fatigue, driver error, and poor bus maintenance were involved.
Our Initial Investigation has revealed that OGA Charters has a long history of Mechanical and Safety violations, including safety violations issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration as recent as 2015.
Over the past 18 months, for example, OGA has received 3 separate citations for Hours of Service violations, meaning that drivers were exceeding the maximum number of hours that they’re permitted to drive by federal law.
The HOS violations centered largely on the fact that drivers were not keeping up-to-date “logs” (a record that identifies how many hours a commercial bus or truck driver has been driving and spent “on duty”). Failing to maintain up-to-date “logs” often suggests that the driver has been driving too many hours — which leads to fatigue.
OGA also has a total “Carrier Safety Measure” score of 1.8, which is strikingly high, considering that 0 is the best possible score.
Even more compelling is the Charter Bus Company’s overall safety score of “53″ — which means that 53% of bus and trucking companies have better Safety records and on-road performance than OGA Charters.
Additional Information that our Bus Accident Attorneys have Learned about OGA Charters:
- Over the last 2 years, OGA Charters has been subject to 5 roadside inspections, forcing both of the company’s two buses to be removed from service
- Because the bus involved in the Laredo accident was manufactured in 1997, it had an outdated Engine Control Module (or “black box), which makes it unlikely that it recorded evidence (like when and how often the brakes were applied prior to the crash) that could be used to help determine whether the driver attempted to slow down or otherwise prevent the bus from leaving the roadway
- Despite the poor weather conditions and heavy rain, the bus appears to have been driving over 75 MPH (the speed limit on Highway 83) when it left the roadway.
We are continuing to work with our experts to discover more about why this tragic crash occurred and will update this website with more information as soon as it becomes available.
If you or a loved one were involved in the OSA Laredo Bus Crash and have questions about our investigation or your would simply like to discuss your rights and options, please call 1-888-854-8989 or send us a confidential email through our “Contact” form by Clicking Here