Federal investigators have determined that the driver of a charter bus carrying dozens of band students from the Houston area’s Channelview High School became unresponsive just before the vehicle crashed along I-10 in Alabama in March.
Passenger Attempted to Revive Charter Bus Driver
According to a preliminary report released yesterday by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the bus showed no signs of mechanical failure. It was traveling around 59 mph at the time of the accident.
Investigators were unable to find any evidence that the driver, 65-year-old Harry Caligone, applied the vehicle’s brakes before it careened off the interstate.
One passenger indicated that Caligone seemed to have become unresponsive prior to the wreck.That same individual made an unsuccessful attempt to revive him.
Bus Veered Off I-10, Fell 50 Feet into Ravine
The Channelview High School bus crash occurred sometime around 5:30 a.m. on March 13th, as 46 students and chaperones were returning to the Houston area from a band competition at Disney World.
The bus, which was owned and operated by Houston-based First Class Tours, veered over the median and into the eastbound lanes of I-10, near the Alabama-Florida state line.
The vehicle then hit a guardrail, reentered the median and plunged 50 feet into a ravine.
Charter Bus Driver Died of Blunt-Force Trauma, Dozens Transferred to Nearby Hospitals
Caligone, a veteran bus driver with more than 20 years of experience behind the wheel, tragically died in the accident.
Three dozen people, mostly students, were transferred to hospitals in Florida and Alabama with injuries that ranged from minor to serious.
The NTSB report does not provide any insight into why Caligone may have become unresponsive. An autopsy indicated that he died of blunt-force trauma related to the crash.
The bus was scheduled to meet a relief driver in Mobile, Alabama. Caligone hadn’t exceeded the number of hours he was legally allowed to drive.
The vehicle itself was new and was only making its second trip
The NTSB is continuing to evaluate carrier operations and driver performance as part of its ongoing investigation of the accident.
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