Cool and partly sunny on this Monday in the Bronx, with a hint of wind just to make you realize it’s still not spring yet. Looking ahead, we will probably see rain mid-week and then a dramatic temperature spike on Friday – the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. And with that, to the news!
Story of the Day: Casino Bus Crash
A tour bus heading back to Chinatown from a casino in Connecticut crashed Saturday morning just as it entered into Bronx territory, killing 14 and injuring another 19. Riders say the bus swerved several times, probably still in Westchester County, before hitting a guardrail, tipping over and skidding into a sign pole that marked an on-ramp to Hutchinson River Parkway. According to the NY Times: “The pole burst through the front window and sheared the bus in half laterally, from front to back, along the passenger window line, the police said.”
The bus driver, Orphadell Williams, told investigators he was clipped by a passing tractor-trailer, causing the crash. But the NY Post reports that the truck driver who was interviewed about his involvement said he didn’t touch the tour bus and other passengers said Williams was driving erratically. The tour company, World Wide Travel, has been cited five times over the past two years for “fatigued driving” and investigated for two crashes over the past two years. Six critically injured survivors are on life support at the Bronx’s Jacobi Medical Center. One of those critical victims has yet to be identified.
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