Deadly Texas Bus Rollover Probed; Details Emerge on Driver

advertisement

Federal investigators spent hours at the Cardinal Coach company's Texas headquarters Thursday night, hours after a bus crash outside Dallas killed two people and injured 40.

Investigators combed through evidence like maintenance records and log books. They could return to the Grand Prairie office several times over the next few weeks.

As the bus was towed away from the scene in nearby Irving, the video clearly showed one tire that was blown out. Some passengers told NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth they heard a loud popping sound before impact. That could have been a tire blowout.

"We've heard stories passengers heard a loud pop so we will be looking at tire safety and looking at the equipment on the bus itself," said former Department of Transportation official Brigham McCown.

Casino Trip Organizer Killed in Bus Crash

Family friends described Sue Taylor, who went by the name "Casino Sue," as a "firecracker" of a woman.

Charter Bus Driver's Family Says He Was a Good Driver

The family of Loyd Rieve, the man behind the wheel of the charter bus crash, spoke to NBC 5 about Rieve being a safe driver.

More Photos and Videos

But others passengers said they did not hear or see anything wrong in the seconds before the crash.

The bus driver, Loyd Reive, has been working as a commercial driver for nearly 20 years, according to his family.

NBC 5 dug through court records and discovered Reive was behind the wheel in a deadly bus crash in 2001. He swerved around an accident on I-35 and struck and killed a Good Samaritan who was trying to help victims. A grand jury chose not to indict him.

Reive remains in the intensive care unit at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas.

Calls and messages to Cardinal Coach have not been returned.

Passengers Injured, Organizer Killed

Casino trip organizer Sue Taylor, 81, of Hurst, and Paula Hahn, 69, of Fort Worth, died in Thursday's crash, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.

Family friends described Taylor, who went by the name "Casino Sue," as a "firecracker" of a woman.

"We're devastated," Janet Denham said.

Her friends said Taylor often planned casino trips and would entertain her guests with games during the road trips. Her daughter told NBC 5 that her mother had been organizing the trips for 10 years.

Information from area hospitals had 13 patients still receiving treatment at Parkland, three at Baylor Irving, one at Baylor Dallas, and one at Methodist. All patients were treated and released at the UT Southwester St. Paul Medical Center. Las Colinas Medical Center did not respond to calls for updates on the seven patients transported there.

Dan Risik, who spoke with NBC 5 both from the scene of the crash and later from his home, said he felt "very lucky" to be alive after the crash.

"After hearing what I've heard and seeing what I've seen in person, I feel extremely fortunate to be virtually injury-free -- a few scrapes, whatever," Risik said. "Other than that, I feel very lucky."

Deadly Texas Bus Crash Coincides with Safety Crackdown

Thursday's deadly crash happened in the middle of an aggressive push by federal regulators to shutter unscrupulous carriers and ramp up safety inspections.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has shut down more than a dozen private bus companies — nearly half of which it deemed "imminent hazards" — over the past couple months. Last week, the agency announced it was deploying a team of more than 50 safety investigators throughout the country to conduct a wider examination of "higher risk" carriers, including many small charter operations. The FMCSA also asked local police to join the crackdown by boosting traffic enforcement.

The inspection teams headed out into the field on April 1, with orders to target 250 companies with lackluster safety records, according to the American Bus Association, a trade group whose officials were briefed by federal authorities.

Among the carriers already shut down by the FMCSA was Fung Wah, a popular discount bus service between New York City and Boston that had a history of crashes and safety violations.

It's not clear whether the owner of the bus that wrecked Thursday, Cardinal Coach Line, would have been targeted in the crackdown had the crash not happened. According to FMCSA's online record system, Cardinal Coach Line was given a "satisfactory" safety rating in 2009. In the past two years, none of the company's five buses has been in a crash, the records say. But the company's two inspections over that period found violations that resulted in putting a bus and/or or a driver out of service.

Read more on the federal bus safety crackdown here.

23.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Presented By:

The likely cause for this is that your browser, feed reader, or email application is configured to not accept cookies, or your reader may launch an external browser to view links without sharing cookies.

• If you're using Internet Explorer, make sure your privacy setting is at medium or below.
  • Select 'Internet Options' from the 'Tools' menu in your browser window
  • Click the Privacy tab
  • Adjust your privacy setting if necessary
     
• If you're using a reader that embeds Internet Explorer (examples: Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Feed Demon), you'll also need to select Internet Explorer as your default web browser.
  • Open Internet Explorer
  • Select 'Internet Options' from the 'Tools' menu in your browser window
  • Click the 'Programs' tab and check the box for Internet Explorer to check if it is the default browser and save your change
  • Close your browser, re-open it, and when prompted, select Internet Explorer as your default
  • You can then click on an ad in your newsletter and visit the site you wish to view

© 2013 Pheedo, Inc. All rights reserved.

23.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Investigation Into Bus Rollover Continues

advertisement

Federal investigators spent hours at the Cardinal Coach Lines headquarters in Grand Prairie Thursday night, and they could return several times over the next few weeks.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators combed through evidence like maintenance records and log books.

As the bus was towed away from the scene, the video clearly showed one tire that was blown out. Some passengers told NBC 5 they heard a loud popping sound before impact. That could have been a tire blowout.

"We've heard stories passengers heard a loud pop so we will be looking at tire safety and looking at the equipment on the bus itself," said former Department of Transportation official Brigham McCown.

But others passengers said they did not hear or see anything wrong in the seconds before the crash.

Investigation Into Bus Rollover Continues

Federal investigators are looking into the company that owned and operated the charter bus that rolled over, killing two and injuring over three dozen.

Witnesses Commend Bus Crash Emergency Response Efforts

Emergency responders sprung into action Thursday morning when a charter bus overturned on George Bush Turnpike.

More Photos and Videos

The bus driver, Loyd Reive, has been working as a commercial driver for nearly 20 years, according to his family.

NBC 5 dug through court records and discovered Reive was behind the wheel in a deadly bus crash in 2001. He swerved around a crash on Interstate 35 and struck and killed a good Samaritan who was trying to help victims. A grand jury chose not to indict him.

Calls and messages to Cardinal Coach have not been returned.

Passengers Injured, Organizer Killed

At least two people were killed and 40 were hospitalized due to the crash, including casino trip organizer 81-year-old Sue Taylor, of Hurst.

Taylor and Paula Hahn, 69, of Fort Worth, died in the crash, DPS said.

Family friends described Taylor, who went by the name "Casino Sue," as a "firecracker" of a woman.

"We're devastated," Janet Denham said.

Her friends said Taylor often planned casino trips and would entertain her guests with games during the road trips. Her daughter told NBC 5 that her mother had been organizing the trips for 10 years.

Information from area hospitals had 13 patients still receiving treatment at Parkland, three at Baylor Irving, one at Baylor Dallas, and one at Methodist. All patients were treated and released at the UT Southwester St. Paul Medical Center. Las Colinas Medical Center did not respond to calls for updates on the seven patients transported there.

Dan Risik, who spoke with NBC 5 both from the scene of the crash and later from his home, said he feels "very lucky" to be alive after the crash.

"After hearing what I've heard and seeing what I've seen in person, I feel extremely fortunate to be virtually injury-free -- a few scrapes, whatever," Risik said. "Other than that, I feel very lucky."

Deadly Texas Bus Crash Coincides with Safety Crackdown

The deadly charter-bus crash Thursday happened in the middle of an aggressive push by federal regulators to shutter unscrupulous carriers and ramp up safety inspections.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has shut down more than a dozen private bus companies — nearly half of which it deemed "imminent hazards" — over the past couple months. Last week, the agency announced it was deploying a team of more than 50 safety investigators throughout the country to conduct a wider examination of "higher risk" carriers, including many small charter operations. The FMCSA also asked local police to join the crackdown by boosting traffic enforcement.

The inspection teams headed out into the field on April 1, with orders to target 250 companies with lackluster safety records, according to the American Bus Association, a trade group whose officials were briefed by federal authorities.

Among the carriers already shut down by the FMCSA was Fung Wah, a popular discount bus service between New York City and Boston that had a history of crashes and safety violations.

It's not clear whether the owner of the bus that wrecked Thursday, Cardinal Coach Line, would have been targeted in the crackdown had the crash not happened. According to FMCSA's online record system, Cardinal Coach Line was given a "satisfactory" safety rating in 2009. In the past two years, none of the company's five buses have been in a crash, the records say. But the company's two inspections over that period found violations that resulted in putting a bus and/or or a driver out of service.

Read more on the federal bus safety crackdown here.

Previous Coverage:

23.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

MLB Brawl Breaks Out

local

3 hours ago

Federal investigators are looking into the company that owned and operated...

local

27 minutes ago

A Dallas firetruck was struck by a bullet Friday morning, Dallas police say.

sports

6 hours ago

Conn. Senator asks Fox not to broadcast NRA 500.

local

26 minutes ago

A disposal team from Fort Hood removed an apparent home-made bomb early Friday...

23.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Calif. Teens Arrested on Sexual Assault Charges After Girl's Suicide

advertisement

Three teenage boys are under arrest, facing possible charges in connection with what police say was the sexual assault of a 15-year-old female California high school student.

Attorney Robert Allard, who represents the girl's family, says the teen committed suicide after photos of the alleged attack at Saratoga High School in Saratoga were published online.

"Based on what we know, she was unconscious, there were multiple boys in the room with her," Allard said. "They did unimaginable things to her while she was unconscious."

On Sept. 10, 2012, eight days after the alleged assault, the girl, Audrie Pott, committed suicide.

We don't normally identify victims of sexual assault or suicide, but have used the girl's name in this report with her parents' permission. They are hoping the story will help prevent something like this from every happening to anyone else.

The family's attorney says the girl took her life after learning that her attackers took photos during the assault, and then published them online and showed them around school.

Allard said, in the days that followed the attack, the girl wrote on her Facebook page, "The whole school knows…. My life is ruined."

The Santa Clara District Attorney's Office would not comment on the case because the suspects are minors.

The sheriff's department tells NBC Bay Area all three boys are 16 years old and were arrested on charges of sexual battery on Thursday.  Two of them were arrested on the Saratoga High School campus Thursday morning and the third was arrested in Gilroy.

Allard says two of the boys are students at Saratoga High School and the third is a student at Christopher High School in Gilroy. 

All three are being held at Juvenile Hall until a detention hearing on Monday or Tuesday, but as of yet, have not been charged with a crime.

The girl's parents, who didn't find out about the attack until after their daughter's death, want the boys prosecuted as adults.

"What these boys did is beyond unconscionable," Allard said. "They should be held to the highest standard of the law to make sure this never ever happens again."

23.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Dallas Firetruck Struck Unknown Object

advertisement

A Dallas firetruck was struck by a bullet Friday morning, Dallas police say.

Dallas Fire-Rescue's Engine 19 was driving down Interstate 30 near Munger Boulevard when one of its windows shattered.

The firefighters on board thought they had been hit by a rock, but during the course of the investigation they found reason to believe it was something other than a rock that shattered the window.

Dallas police originally told NBC 5 that the glass had been hit by a bullet, though later said they were unable to confirm that information.

None of the firefighters were injured and they were not headed to an emergency when the glass shattered.

The incident is under investigation.

Get the latest headlines sent to your inbox!

23.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

STAAR Tests Come with $90M Tab

advertisement

As students take the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, tests this spring, they are part of a program that is on-track to cost Texas taxpayers almost half a billion dollars over five years.

An NBC 5 investigation looking at STAAR testing budget documents and receipts reveals millions of testing dollars are spent on meetings, travel and consultants who charge the state as much as $5,300 for three days of work.

The Texas Education Agency has a five-year contract worth roughly $90 million per year with Pearson Education -- a London based education Services Company that helps write, distribute and grade the STAAR tests.

NBC 5 Investigates filed an open records request to review documents and see exactly how the money is spent.

In response, the TEA provided a general budget and listed items like "graphic design and art" for $1 million and software "system set-up and configuration" for $1.6 million. Records show more than $1.5 million was spent on "educator travel and meetings" in just one year of the contract.

NBC 5 Investigates took the travel and meetings line item, and filed another open records request asking for a more details of how much each meeting, or trip, cost Texas taxpayers.

In their response, the TEA initially said there were "no documents found" that could answer the request.

Gloria Zyskowski, who manages the STAAR testing program for the TEA, explained that the state contract requires Pearson to keep receipts in case the TEA wants to see them.  But the TEA had never asked to see the actual receipts that account for more than $1.5 million in travel expenses.

"We don't have the capacity here to keep all of those receipts. We don't have somebody who -- the reimbursement is done through Pearson.  If I wanted to see them, I could certainly see them," said Zyskowski.

Former Texas Board of Education member George Clayton believes taxpayers should be able to see, in detail, how $90 million are spent.

"That is a huge number. It's astronomical," said Clayton. "Follow the money and you'll finally come to the truth. Well, it's very difficult to follow the money sometimes."

During an interview with NBC 5, Zyskowski agreed that taxpayers should be able to see the travel receipts.

"Certainly. We live in an open records environment, so yes, they can see them," Zyskowski said.

Remember, though, when NBC 5 Investigates first asked the TEA for those records the agency said there were "no documents found."

During the interview, Zyskowski agreed that the TEA would request that Pearson release the information previously denied. Pearson quickly offered to release a database that showed exactly how much each meeting cost and the state went back to Pearson asking them to give us the actual travel receipts.

"I think last year we brought in just over 2,000 educators to attend around 130 different meetings," said Zyskowski.

The receipts show most of the meetings bring Texas teachers to Austin to help develop test questions for the STAAR tests.  Some three-day meetings include up to 20 teachers and cost as much as $19,000 each.

The most expensive meeting was a two-day event for 12 people that cost $57,000. That particular meeting involved out-of-state consultants, mostly college professors, who sit on a technical advisory committee. In addition to travel expenses, those consultants are being paid as much as $5,000 for just three days work.

Here's how it adds up: The consultants are paid an honorarium of $1,400 a day.  For a two-day meeting, that totals $2,800.  On top of that they get $800 for meeting preparation time.  Some are even paid for the hours spent traveling to the meeting, with some consultants being paid as much as $1,700 just for time on an airplane. The total adds up to about $5,300 for two or three days worked.

Pearson said the use of paid consultants is common in the testing business and that most states have technical advisory committees to advise and validate the assessment practice.

The company said it surveyed advisory committee members from other states to determine how much to pay and that the Texas stipends are "...in-line with other states for preparation time and travel."

Pearson and the TEA said they're always looking for ways to curb travel expenses and to keep them under budget. At one time, the teachers and consultants would meet at hotels in downtown Austin. In 2012, Pearson created a meeting facility in north Austin, at Pearson's own expense. Since that meeting center opened last year, it has saved money on renting hotel meeting rooms and facility costs.

Clayton believes the state should make it easier for people to see how tax dollars are spent on testing and argues the program is not worth the cost.

"I don't know what the benefit is to education is.  It's a huge benefit to the company that publishes the test, but I don't think its benefited education in Texas at all," said Clayton.

However, there are some who think the costs are a worthwhile investment.  Texas Association of Business President Bill Hammond believes testing is worth every penny and is necessary to hold schools accountable.

At an average cost of about $20 per student, per year, Hammond said it's worth it.

"If one thinks of it as a quality control test, it's a bargain.  Twenty bucks to make sure more kids are going to graduate, career or college ready, over time that's money well spent," said Hammond.

Hammond said he's not opposed to making the expenses more easily accessible to the public so people can judge for themselves.

"In the future we should have a contract that has more transparency, if that's what's needed," said Hammond.

Transparency might be one thing both sides of the testing debate can agree on.

"I'm as big a capitalist as anybody. But we're dealing with the minds of children and public money and so it's a little different story.  So I think their books should be open to anyone who cares to see them," said Clayton.

Currently the future of the STAAR test is up in the air.  The current Texas Senate budget proposal includes money for testing but the House budget does not.  There are a number of other bills pending that would change some, or all, of the testing program.

23.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Presented By:

The likely cause for this is that your browser, feed reader, or email application is configured to not accept cookies, or your reader may launch an external browser to view links without sharing cookies.

• If you're using Internet Explorer, make sure your privacy setting is at medium or below.
  • Select 'Internet Options' from the 'Tools' menu in your browser window
  • Click the Privacy tab
  • Adjust your privacy setting if necessary
     
• If you're using a reader that embeds Internet Explorer (examples: Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Feed Demon), you'll also need to select Internet Explorer as your default web browser.
  • Open Internet Explorer
  • Select 'Internet Options' from the 'Tools' menu in your browser window
  • Click the 'Programs' tab and check the box for Internet Explorer to check if it is the default browser and save your change
  • Close your browser, re-open it, and when prompted, select Internet Explorer as your default
  • You can then click on an ad in your newsletter and visit the site you wish to view

© 2013 Pheedo, Inc. All rights reserved.

23.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Gun Shop Owner Remembers Slain District Attorney

advertisement

The owner of the gun shop Kaufman County's slain district attorney visited less than 24 hours before his death says he showed no sign of fear.

Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, were found shot to death in their home Saturday.

O'Neil Kidwill, owner of Helz Firearms in Forney, said Mike McLelland was a regular customer. He stopped by the shop on Friday.

"He was basically there to shoot the bull with us," Kidwill said.

Kidwill said he never imagined their conversation on Friday would be their last.

"I didn't know it would be the last time I'd see him," he said. "I would have never thought that."

Kidwill said McLelland came in a few times per week to chat.

"When he came in there, he was like he was a kid in a candy store," he said. "I mean, he was at home with us."

When he visited Friday, he showed no sign of concern, Kidwill said.

"I asked him straight out, I said, 'Are you scared? Do you think something's going to happen?'" Kidwill said. "And he was like, 'No, I'm more worried about my co-workers because they won't come to work.'"

Kidwell said he remembers asking McLelland about the slaying of Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse, who was gunned down near the county courthouse in January.

"Of course, we would always question him, and he said he didn't have any leads," he said. "He had some suspicions, but he couldn't talk about it."

Thousands of mourners attended a memorial service for McLelland and his wife in Sunnyvale on Thursday. Gov. Rick Perry and law enforcement officials from around the state joined family and friends of the couple to remember the couple.

They will be laid to rest Friday in McLelland's hometown of Wortham.

23.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

DNA Match Links Benitez to Lake Highlands Attacks

Ben Russell, NBC 5 News

DNA evidence links the suspect Dallas police have in custody to three attacks on women in the Lake Highlands area, according to investigators.

DNA Match Links Benitez to Lake...

Copy

Close

Link to this video

http://www.nbcdfw.com/video/#!/news/local/DNA-Match-Links-Benitez-to-Lake-Highlands-Attacks/201563971

Copy

Close

Embed this video

Replay

advertisement

DNA evidence links a man Dallas police have in custody to three attacks on women in the Lake Highlands area, investigators say.

Officers arrested Cesar Benitez Tuesday, charging him with aggravated sexual assault and sexual assault in the first two incidents.  

Charges are still pending in the third attack, police said.

Upon his arrest, Benitez admitted to all three incidents, police said, and his palm print had been found at one of the scenes.  

On Thursday, police confirmed that a DNA sample provided by Benitez matches with DNA evidence collected from each of the three victims.

"I'm so relieved. My shoulders have dropped. I'm not crying at night. I'm just so happy that he's been found," said Lea Papanicolu, who told NBC 5 she lives five houses down from where one of the attacks happened.

Papanicolu was out celebrating her birthday Thursday night at a restaurant with her family when she spoke with NBC 5. Seated two tables away, Noel Walling said she and her family were breathing a sigh of relief since the arrest. Walling said the DNA match confirms that feeling even more.

"Everyone's feeling a little bit of relief," Walling said.  "And [we're] obviously just so happy that the police acted so quickly."

Benitez is being held on $4.5 million bond.

Get the latest headlines sent to your inbox!

23.23 | 0 komentar | Read More