08/28/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/28/2024 13:20
WASHINGTON (Aug. 28, 2024) - The National Transportation Safety Board is recommending stronger state and federal regulations for motor carriers following a report on a fatal collision between a semi-truck and a bus in Williamsburg, Virginia, which resulted in three deaths and multiple injuries.
The crash occurred on Dec. 16, 2022 when the semi-truck collided with the rear of the slower-moving bus on Interstate 64. The bus was traveling at 20 to 25 miles per hour in the right lane, while the truck was traveling at 65 to 70 miles per hour with cruise control engaged. The speed limit on I-64 is 70 miles per hour. The truck driver did not brake or take any evasive action as the truck approached the bus. The collision caused the roof and sidewalls of the bus to detach, exposing the occupants. The bus then rotated, crossed the lane, and breached the guardrail. As a result, three bus occupants died, nine occupants and the truck driver sustained serious injuries, and 11 bus occupants sustained minor injuries.
The NTSB determined that the truck driver's lack of response to the slower-moving bus was due to fatigue from excess driving time and lack of sleep opportunity. The truck's motor carrier, Triton Logistics, created fictitious driver accounts for its vehicles' electronic logging device systems that allowed drivers to exceed federal hours-of-service regulations and drive while fatigued. The investigation also determined that the bus's significantly slower speed contributed to the severity of the crash.
As a result of the investigation, the NTSB is issuing six new recommendations and reiterating three previous recommendations. New recommendations include:
Reiterated recommendations include:
The full report on crash investigation is available on the NTSB's website.
To report an incident/accident or if you are a public safety agency, please call 1-844-373-9922 or 202-314-6290 to speak to a Watch Officer at the NTSB Response Operations Center (ROC) in Washington, DC (24/7).