A bus accident that occurred on I-40 in Tennessee has left the town of Statesville in mourning. According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the bus carrying a North Carolina church group allegedly crossed the center median and veered into oncoming traffic. The bus reported hit a Chevy Tahoe before striking an oncoming tractor-trailer. The truck was quickly engulfed in flames, while the bus was turned over onto its side, which smashed many of the windows shielding passengers.
One representative from the Tennessee Highway Patrol called it the worst accident he had ever seen.
Twelve people were taken to the hospital with various degrees of injuries. However, six people were killed in the crash.
While authorities are still piecing together how the accident occurred, one of the family members of the deceased had told reporters that the bus had missed a turn, and that it was attempting to make a U-turn. Nevertheless, the cause of the accident has not been decided.
The cause of the crash has major implications in the legal proceedings that are likely to follow. A post accident investigation centers on who (or what) may have been at fault, and whether the accident was forseeable given the circumstances. For instance, if the bus driver was sleep deprived, it would be forseeable that an accident would occur given his inability to make (or execute) split second decisions due to his fatique.
The driver (or his insurer) could be held liable for the damages suffered in the crash, and would likely be the target of several wrongful death lawsuits.
Source: CharlotteObserver.com, Tennessee bus wreck kills six from Statesville church, October 3, 2013
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