Early Tuesday morning, a charter bus accident in Merced, Northern California killed at least 5 passengers and injured roughly 2 dozen more.
While the cause of this deadly crash remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the experienced charter bus accident lawyers at Zehl & Associates understand that the lack of brake marks at the scene likely means that this bus driver was asleep at the wheel when he left the roadway.
Were You a Victim of the Merced Charter Bus Accident?
Our charter bus accident lawyers have recovered over $1 Billion in settlements and verdicts for our clients over the past 7 years with many of those cases involving fatigued bus drivers, including a Greyhound driver that crashed after being allowed to drive after being suspected of having sleep apnea by a DOT medical examiner.
In fact, our bus accident attorneys won the first-ever court-ordered sleep study against a Greyhound bus driver leading the company to offer a record $6 million settlement.
If you or a loved one were injured in this preventable tragedy, do not hesitate to contact us today for a free legal consultation by calling 1-888-603-3636 or by clicking here.
Driver Fatigue and the Merced Bus Crash
The Merced charter bus accident occurred at about 3:35 a.m. when the bus, registered to a company named Autobuses Coordinados USA, Inc. and originating out of Mexico, suddenly swerved into a large sign pole.
That pole cut through the bus, pinning some of the injured passengers in their seats until they could be rescued.
Of the 30 passengers estimated to be onboard the bus at the time of the collision, only 4 escaped without injury, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The bus had been traveling northbound on Highway 99 when the accident took place.
No brake marks were visible, according to authorities, leading many to believe the bus struck the pole at nearly 70 miles per hour.
Stay tuned for updates as they become available.