Arizona public safety officials are still sorting through the details of a fatal motor vehicle accident involving a pickup truck and charter bus headed to Phoenix. Nine people were injured in the accident, two of whom sustained very serious bodily harm, and the truck's driver died.
One recent afternoon emergency service personnel were called to a highway in rural Arizona. When they arrived, they found two severely damaged vehicles and several people requiring immediate attention. The bus driver and a passenger sustained severe injuries that required them to be airlifted to a hospital.
Though Arizona police are still investigating the circumstances of the accident, they know that that the truck driver was traveling down the wrong side of the highway, which caused the vehicles to collide head on. After the bus and pickup truck crashed, a tractor-trailer collided with the bus, but that truck driver was uninjured.
According to reports, the charter bus was part of a service that runs shuttles between Phoenix and Mexico. If it's determined that the bus driver or a mechanical failure also contributed to the accident, then the bus company could also be held responsible. Authorities indicate that the bus company has a history of violations regarding the maintenance of their buses.
At this time, it appears as though the pickup-truck driver may carry most of the responsibility for the accident. Even though the driver passed away, those aboard the bus who sustained serious injuries may still have grounds for a personal injury claim. In some cases, it is possible to file a suit against a deceased person's estate if their negligence harmed others.
Source: The Arizona Republic, " 1 killed in I-10 collision near Casa Grande involving bus," Domenico Nicosia, Nov. 21, 2012
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