Fox News is reporting a Disney bus crash at Epcot?

[shmoogrrrl]

Anyone else heard anything about this?

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/22922153/detail.html

 

[AshleyW]

Anyone else heard anything about this?

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/22922153/detail.html

http://www.wftv.com/news/22921408/detail.html

Posted: 2:42 pm EDT March 23,2010
Updated: 4:19 pm EDT March 23,2010
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- Eight people were injured Tuesday afternoon, one person critically, in a collision between a Disney bus and a parked charter bus in the right through-lane near the Epcot parking entrance. The Florida Highway Patrol said the accident happened around 2:15pm at Epcot Center Drive near World Drive and North South Road (see map), just before the main Epcot parking entrance.

According to FHP, the Disney bus rear-ended the charter bus, leaving the front of the Disney bus completely smashed in (see images). FHP said there were no passengers on the charter bus and the bus driver was outside of the vehicle at the time of the collision and unhurt. It's unclear at this time why the charter bus was parked in a through-lane.

Seven of the eight patients were said to have minor injuries. However, the driver of the Disney bus was airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center in serious condition. The Reedy Creek Fire Department said he was trapped inside for 15 minutes while firefighters worked to pull him out.

Three of the minor injury patients were transported to Celebration Hospital, while four were taken to Dr. Phillips.

Troopers are trying to find out why the charter bus was stopped in the road and is was at fault in the crash. The seriously injured driver is still recovering in the hospital.

While the crash closed access to the Epcot parking entrance for nearly two hours, traffic appeared to be getting through around 4:00pm.

 

[N.Bailey]

That's awful, thank God there were no fatalities.

 

[Luv'sTink]

This is why I have never understood standing on buses. Especially at home when they are screaming down the freeway at 60 MPH!

Accidents may not happen often but obviously they do happen.

 

[Piglets Mommy]

This is why I have never understood standing on buses. Especially at home when they are screaming down the freeway at 60 MPH!

Accidents may not happen often but obviously they do happen.

I agree. I get REALLY nervous when we have to stand on a bus...you just never know.

I hope everyone involved will recover quickly.

 

[Luv2Scrap]

Wow, those pictures look terrible!

 

[minnie56]

What's with Disney buses!?!?!?! I have personally been on 2 that had serious 'happenings' and witnessed another in an awful accident. Goodness me...what kind of training do these drivers have????

 

[Buckalew11]

Prayers said for the victims and esp. the driver of the bus. All us Disney addicts may *know* him or her.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

I'm sorry to hear about that. It does make me nervous standing like a lot of you. Pixie dust to all involved.

 

[SaraJayne]

What's with Disney buses!?!?!?! I have personally been on 2 that had serious 'happenings' and witnessed another in an awful accident. Goodness me...what kind of training do these drivers have????

From what I understand, there was a charter bus (non Disney) stopped in the through lane of traffic, and the driver was standing outside the bus. That driver is the one at fault, not the Disney driver.

I'm not about to jump on the poor man that's laying in the hospital seriously injured.

For the amount of people that are hauled every year by Disney Transportation, I would say they have a pretty good track record.

 

[DMRick]

Do we know why he was stopped? I wonder if he was having a problem with his bus. Or why the Disney driver didn't realize the bus was stopped? Did he not realize that the bus in front of him wasn't moving?

From what I understand, there was a charter bus (non Disney) stopped in the through lane of traffic, and the driver was standing outside the bus. That driver is the one at fault, not the Disney driver.

 

[Magic Mom]

From what I understand, there was a charter bus (non Disney) stopped in the through lane of traffic, and the driver was standing outside the bus. That driver is the one at fault, not the Disney driver.

I'm not about to jump on the poor man that's laying in the hospital seriously injured.

For the amount of people that are hauled every year by Disney Transportation, I would say they have a pretty good track record.

The Disney driver is still at least partially at fault.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

When semi's break down on the side of the highway--they put up those triangle hazard reflector things.

Wonder if busses have those on hand--

.While the Disney bus does share some of the blame--there is a reason why you don't use a lane of traffic as an emergency stopping place. And there is a reason they developed those hazard thingies. (not sure what they are called)

 

[Feralpeg]

From what I understand, there was a charter bus (non Disney) stopped in the through lane of traffic, and the driver was standing outside the bus. That driver is the one at fault, not the Disney driver.

I'm not about to jump on the poor man that's laying in the hospital seriously injured.

For the amount of people that are hauled every year by Disney Transportation, I would say they have a pretty good track record.

The Mears driver experienced mechanical difficulty. She pulled to the far outside lane and put on her flashers. She was standing outside of the bus at the time of the accident.

Eye witnesses said that the Disney bus driver didn't attempt to stop until the last second. He apparently didn't notice the flashers.

The 41 year old Disney bus driver had to be cut out of the bus. He is currently undergoing surgery at ORMC.

Two males (one 16 year old) are in Celebration Hospital in serious condition. One male is hospitalized at Celebration Hospital in good condition. A 15 year old male was released. Three other victims were taken to Dr. Phillips hospital. Their condition, at this time, is unknown.

 

[Planogirl]

I had heard that the Mears bus broke down too and that the driver was waiting for help. I don't see anything else that the Mears driver could have done.

 

[kpm76]

This is why I have never understood standing on buses. Especially at home when they are screaming down the freeway at 60 MPH!

Accidents may not happen often but obviously they do happen.

I agree!! We rent a car now so we rarely ride the bus but it's so dangerous to stand.....even just stopping short can send you flying forward. Add to the mix all the strollers, backpacks in the aisle etc and it's quite dangerous....

 

[declansdad]

What's with Disney buses!?!?!?! I have personally been on 2 that had serious 'happenings' and witnessed another in an awful accident. Goodness me...what kind of training do these drivers have????

With the amount of buses they have on the go and the amount of runs they do on a daily basis, i would say they have a pretty food safety record.

 

[ndelaware]

C'mon folks, this was totally the Disney driver's fault. He slammed into a stationary vehicle stopped directly in front of him. It wouldn't matter if the charter bus was in the middle lane of a three lane highway. A driver is supposed to keep a safe following distance between himself and the vehicle in front of him. Sometimes that even means coming to a complete stop instead of hitting another vehicle.

It's a shame he is injured, but it was comepletely his own doing.

 

[manning]

From what I understand, there was a charter bus (non Disney) stopped in the through lane of traffic, and the driver was standing outside the bus. That driver is the one at fault, not the Disney driver.

I'm not about to jump on the poor man that's laying in the hospital seriously injured.

For the amount of people that are hauled every year by Disney Transportation, I would say they have a pretty good track record.

Maybe the charter bus driver wasn't at fault. Love people who jump to conclusions.

Could it be the bus was stalled and maybe the disney driver wasn't paying attention?

We won't (if ever) know who was at fault until the investigation is done !!!

 

[Feralpeg]

The police have stated that there were no skid marks. It appears the Disney bus driver did not hit his brakes.