U.S. Department of Transportation
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, DC www.dot.gov/affairs/briefing.htm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FMCSA 2-00
Thursday, April 13, 2000
Contact: David Longo
Telephone: 202-366-0456 FMCSA Assesses $90,000
Civil Penalty Against
Pennsylvania Bus Company For Violations in Fatal Accident
The U.S. Department of
Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) today
announced that Blue and White Lines, Inc., of Altoona, Pa., has been assessed a
civil penalty of $90,000 for violating federal motor carrier safety regulations.
"These penalties
convey a simple message: we're serious about safety, and we won't tolerate
unnecessary risk for passengers and other motorists," Acting FMCSA Deputy
Administrator Julie Anna Cirillo said.
The charges stem from an
investigation after a crash on Nov. 21, 1999 in which four buses carrying
Pennsylvania State University students home from New York collided on Interstate
80 in Kidder Township, Carbon County, Pa. The accident resulted in 2 fatalities
and 106 injuries.
All three buses belonging
to Blue and White Lines and involved in this crash were found to have mechanical
defects meeting the North American Standard Vehicle Out-of-Service Criteria.
"Out-of-Service" is an FMCSA term used to describe the act of taking a
motor vehicle off the road that is likely to cause an accident or breakdown
because of its poor mechanical condition or unsafe load.
Inspection of the buses
involved in the accident and further investigation, including inspections of
other buses operated by Blue and White Lines, revealed numerous violations of
the federal motor carrier safety regulations, including the following:
-
One violation for
operating a commercial motor vehicle equipped with axle positioning
parts cracked, broken, loose, or missing.
-
Four violations for
failing to ensure that brake hoses are suitably secured against chafing,
kinking, or other mechanical damage.
-
One violation for
operating a commercial motor vehicle equipped with tires having fabric
or cords exposed through the tread or sidewall.
-
Four violations for
failing to inspect and maintain a motor vehicle to ensure safe and
proper operating condition (brakes out of adjustment).
This investigation was
conducted by special agents of the FMCSA who were under the direction of FMCSA's
Pennsylvania State Director Patrick Quigley. The Pennsylvania Public Utility
Commission and the Pennsylvania State Police assisted in the investigation.
# # #
|