Driver had taken the proper route at least nine times since the service was started July 21.
View full sizeThe wreckage of a Megabus is being towed away by Meyer's Towing, of Camillus. Four people were killed in the accident, closed the Onondaga Lake Parkway for almost 10 hours. Salina, NY -- The driver of the Megabus that slammed into the railroad bridge over Onondaga Lake Parkway early this morning killing four people was familiar with the route, said a bus company executive.
Speaking at a news conference this morning, Don Carmichael, senior vice president of Coach USA, said the driver of the Megabus had driven the route at least nine times since the service was started July 21.
The Megabus was traveling north on Onondaga Lake Parkway when it slammed into the bridge at about 2:30 a.m. and rolled onto its side. Four people died. The driver and other passengers were taken to area hospitals with injuries ranging from minor to critical.
See complete coverage of the fatal Megabush crash. .
The Megabus left Philadelphia with 26 of the 37 people who had booked the seats for the trip at 10 p.m. about 10 minutes behind schedule. Passengers booked the trip on the Internet using email addresses and that’s why the company is having a difficult time determining their home address, Carmichael said.
He spoke at a news conference in front of the Liverpool Animal Hospital about a quarter mile from the accident scene. As Carmichael described the trip, the heavy-duty tow truck towing the mangled Megabus rumbled behind him.
The trip leaves Philadelphia, making stops in Syracuse and Buffalo, before going onto Toronto. Service through Syracuse began July 21.
Carmichael said he doesn’t know the name of the bus driver or how long he has been with the company. However, he said the man has a commercial driver’s license, and had driven the route through Syracuse at least nine times.
View full sizeRescue personnel attempt to pull a Megabus from the railroad bridge over Onondaga Parkway. Sheriff and fire personnel are investigating a bus accident in which four died.The driver did not make the half-hour stop at the Regional Transportation Center this morning, Carmichael said.
The bus route travels north on Interstate 81 before exiting for the Regional Transportation Center for the Syracuse stop. It returns to I-81 north before going west on Interstate 90 to Buffalo, Carmichael said. Onondaga Lake Parkway is not a part of the route, he said.
The driver’s decision to vary the route will be part of the investigation, Carmichael said.
“It’s not the prescribed route. We don’t know why he was on it,” he said.
Carmichael had not been to the accident scene. He had not spoken with any passengers about what was happening, on the bus when before it crashed.
The bus company has registered 17 passengers who have been released from hospitals at the Crowne Plaza where bus company personnel and the American Red Cross are caring for them.
The company is helping to replace eyeglasses lost in the crash by several passengers, Carmichael said. It is also providing clothing until passengers can be reunited with their luggage, he said.
Passengers who want to return to Philadelphia or finish their journey will be given transportation, he said. Relatives or friends who want to reunite with those still in Syracuse will also be given transportation, Carmichael said.