Driver dies in truck-bus crash on NY Thruway

scottm4211 · Jul 22, 2011

1 dead in NY bus, tractor-trailer crash - USATODAY.com

WATERLOO, N.Y. (AP) — Police say a tractor-trailer crashed into a tour bus carrying about 50 people across central New York early Friday, killing the truck driver and sending at least 20 people to the hospital.

I just saw video of this on tv and it appears the truck was Matrix Expedite.

ttruck · Jul 22, 2011

I guess untill the whole story is said and done we wont know whos fault sad though

shadow7663 · Jul 22, 2011

Sad to hear regardless of the circumstances!!!!!! I pray for those involved and for the family of the lost driver.

skyraider · Jul 22, 2011

shadow7663 said:
Sad hear regardless of the circumstances!!!!!! I pray for those involved and for the family of the lost driver.

It is dangerous out there, u cant b to carefull, mistakes are many times unforgiving.

greg334 · Jul 22, 2011

Apparently the driver of the bus pulled out in front of the truck, and the driver of the bus has a suspended license.

The driver is from the Detroit area, even though the news showed he was from Flint.

When are they going to get serious about these ******* **** buses?

I was passed by one the other day coming home. I was in a 55 zone and he was doing 75 and actually rocked the truck went by. The bus had the safe driver award crap all over it, with one saying a Million Miles of safe driving.

bobwg · Jul 22, 2011

greg334 said:
Apparently the driver of the bus pulled out in front of the truck, and the driver of the bus has a suspended license.

The driver is from the Detroit area, even though the news showed he was from Flint.

When are they going to get serious about these ******* **** buses?

I was passed by one the other day coming home. I was in a 55 zone and he was doing 75 and actually rocked the truck went by. The bus had the safe driver award crap all over it, with one saying a Million Miles of safe driving.

Just wondering if you got bus number? license plate? any info of the bus and driver and did you call police???

greg334 · Jul 22, 2011

bobwg said:
Just wondering if you got bus number? license plate? any info of the bus and driver and did you call police???

Yes I talked to the state police. It was a grayhound and went by so fast I could not get the number.

paullud · Jul 22, 2011

greg334 said:
Apparently the driver of the bus pulled out in front of the truck, and the driver of the bus has a suspended license.

The driver is from the Detroit area, even though the news showed he was from Flint.

When are they going to get serious about these ******* **** buses?

I was passed by one the other day coming home. I was in a 55 zone and he was doing 75 and actually rocked the truck went by. The bus had the safe driver award crap all over it, with one saying a Million Miles of safe driving.

The driver of the bus is Canadian.

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mcavoy33 · Jul 23, 2011

paullud said:
The driver of the bus is Canadian.

Maybe Greg was right, those Canadian drivers are just as bad as the mexicans stealing our jobs.

Dakota · Jul 23, 2011

You gotta watch out for those Canadians

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Jumbuck · Jul 24, 2011

Hi: I live in Flint, Mi and I am reading the "Flint Journal" about the deadly crash. The driver was from Dryden, Mi. and he was a "model employee." He was driving on Interstate 90 when he collided with a tour bus that was merging onto the highway. More than 30 aboard the bus that was going from Ontario to New York City were injured in the crash. The driver of the truck drove for Matrix Expedited Services here in Flint. The Journal say the bus driver pulled over for 30 minutes because of an emissions malfunction and was struck from the rear by the semi after he pulled back onto the highway. The driver of the bus had his New York license suspended over 2 earlier tickets, but he had a valid license in Canada. I don't know if I can legally disclose the driver's name but he was 59 years old. What a shame.
Jumbuck

Jumbuck · Jul 24, 2011

I have NEVER in my life seen more dangerous drivers than Tour Bus Drivers and Grey-Hound drivers. They STAY in the Left lane always and do almost 80 MPH. It doesn't matter to them if its dry pavement or solid ice. I sometimes wonder if it's because they are superior drivers or just STUPID! I kinda lean toward the latter. I was running the Ohio Turnpike in my tiny sprinter last night b/w Pittsburgh and Cleveland and it was raining like a Bull peeing on a flat rock during the rainy season and it was on a stretch of road the was under construction and the trucks were forced to drive in the left lane. Man, I had 2 Fed-Ex semis pass me so close they almost brushed my mirrors and I swear unto all they were doing 70 MPH. That isn't the worse part....you could not have gotten a Smart Car between the lead truck and the guy following him. If the first guy decided to drive off the edge of the mountain, the second guy would have followed RIGHT in behind him!!!! Guaranteed! How stupid is that? For all intents and purposes the lead truck was pulling double trailers with a tractor for the dolly!

OntarioVanMan · Jul 24, 2011

Jumbuck said:
Hi: I live in Flint, Mi and I am reading the "Flint Journal" about the deadly crash. The driver was from Dryden, Mi. and he was a "model employee." He was driving on Interstate 90 when he collided with a tour bus that was merging onto the highway. More than 30 aboard the bus that was going from Ontario to New York City were injured in the crash. The driver of the truck drove for Matrix Expedited Services here in Flint. The Journal say the bus driver pulled over for 30 minutes because of an emissions malfunction and was struck from the rear by the semi after he pulled back onto the highway. The driver of the bus had his New York license suspended over 2 earlier tickets, but he had a valid license in Canada. I don't know if I can legally disclose the driver's name but he was 59 years old. What a shame.
Jumbuck

Sounds like from your post the bus driver may hve not been so innocent...I hope NY state isn't over reacting because of the string of accidents... I think the homicide charge might be overkill....lets hope they do a real through investigation...

paullud · Jul 24, 2011

OntarioVanMan said:
Sounds like from your post the bus driver may hve not been so innocent...I hope NY state isn't over reacting because of the string of accidents... I think the homicide charge might be overkill....lets hope they do a real through investigation...

NY is viewing the bus driver as being at fault on top of the fact he had no right to be driving here and that is the reason for the homicide charge. NY is pretty tough on things like this, I know of a case locally where the guy was sentenced to 3 years in prison after killing a woman in his personal car. The bus driver has killed someone plus he injured people so I think anything short of the Canadian government stepping in will result in at least 5 years for this guy.

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OntarioVanMan · Jul 24, 2011

I was wondering....short of being a legal resident of Canada if his license was valid? He had a NY license which was suspended...then moved to Canada? weird

BTW...IF he was a legal resident of Canada....he would be legal to drive here

usafk9 · Jul 24, 2011

Real close friend of the family is one of the Troopers investigating.
Haven't spoken with him yet, but probably will see him this week, and would love to see what he's found so far.

Truck driver's name is Timothy Hume. It's been published widely.

I'm curious to find out how the guy obtained a Canadian license after the suspension in NY. FWIW, the license was suspended after 2 speeding tickets, where he pled (pleaded?) guilty, paid the speeding fine, but did not pay the associated administrative costs.

I'm also wondering if the DPF light/system (excuse my ignorance...trying to avoid further emissions crap like the plague) is what caused him to pull over in the first place. I'm also wondering if there was other traffic present that would not/did not allow the truck driver to move to the passing lane. I regularly move over for slowed/stopped traffic in the breakdown lane, when safe to do so, but know of tons of drivers, professional and otherwise, that do not.

Interesting to see how this plays out.

Aljocky · Aug 20, 2011

Very sad. This is a wake up call for us fellow drivers to be more cautious.

ATeam · Aug 20, 2011

usafk9 said:
I regularly move over for slowed/stopped traffic in the breakdown lane, when safe to do so, ....

That is the smart play. You never know what that people around the broken down vehicle will do, or what a stopped vehicle will do.

I was once driving in the right lane on a freeway, spotted a big-rig tow truck parked alone on the shoulder, and moved into the left lane. Without a turn signal or warning of any kind, that massive tow truck darted sharply to the left and across both lanes to a nearby crossover lane to make a U-turn and head in the opposite direction.

I stomped on my brakes to avoid what would have been a fatal crash for him and possibly for us. A second later and we would have T-boned him for sure at highway speed.

In that case, it was the timing that made the difference, not the lane change. But it also shows that you never know what that driver on the shoulder is going to do. The more safe space you can put between him (her) and you, the better.