Crime & Safety

UPDATED: Brake Failure Cause Of Bus Crash?

Crash took place south of Cherry Glen Road on I-80

UPDATED 11:30 a.m.:

The California Highway Patrol is investigating brake failure as
the possible cause of a bus crash on Interstate Highway 80 near Fairfield
late Monday afternoon.
          The United Coach Tours bus with 49 people aboard drove off
westbound I-80 into a fence around 4:30 p.m. and came to rest on the side of
Lyon Road, which runs parallel to the highway, CHP Officer Richard Weaver
said.
          The bus was returning to San Francisco from Sacramento with
passengers who were on a lobbying outing, Weaver said.
          Twenty passengers suffered minor injuries, including pain and
bruising, and 13 went to hospitals where they were treated and released,
Weaver said.
          The bus driver, 38-year-old Yunzho Ma, told investigators she was
having trouble with the air brakes on the right side of the bus, Weaver said.
          Ma said she was driving at about 70 mph and tried to slow down
when the brakes failed, Weaver said. She then steered to the right and went
through the fence, he said.
          There were skid marks on the road, possibly indicating that the
brakes had locked up, Weaver said.
          Ma has worked for the South San Francisco charter bus company
since 2004, Weaver said. The owner of the bus company did not immediately
return a phone call for comment this morning.
          CHP officers from the agency's Solano County office are
investigating whether brake failure caused the crash, Weaver said.

Original story:

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By Bay City News Service

Around 13 people were taken to a hospital with minor injuries after a bus went off the road near Fairfield in Solano County Monday afternoon, a California Highway Patrol official said.

Find out what's happening in Suisun Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The bus crashed through 50 to 60 feet of perimeter fencing south of Cherry Glen Road, CHP Officer Ralph Caggiano said.

Several ambulances responded to the crash, which was reported at 4:27 p.m., Caggiano said.

An American Red Cross unit also responded to the scene but the injuries appeared to be minor, CHP Officer Kevin Bartlett said.


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