Bus Accident, Central CA. Hits Freeway Pole cuts 2/3 through centerline.

[BravestDog]

Commercial bus driving North bound on Highway 99 between Atwater and Livingston (about 100 miles south east of San Francisco) hits a freeway sign pole which cuts through 2/3 of the way through the center line of the bus, 4 killed, more injured. August 2, 2016 3am.

"Investigators, meanwhile, were working to find out why the bus suddenly veered sharply off the highway, smashing into a pole that tore through the vehicle.

Eighteen people were injured, but none of the victims remained in critical condition. Rescuers pulled "bags of body parts" from the bus along with survivors, some of whom suffered severed limbs.

Moments before the crash, it appeared the driver was trying to pass another vehicle that he apparently expected to yield, but it would not let him merge"

Be careful when driving.

It's the white bus in the photos here. Look at the picture taken from overhead.

Pictures here: https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...August++2+2016

[bushpilot]

glad we have front engine coaches!

[hot rod]

The wording is wrong in the story, didn't go down the center, went outside the framerail. I don't know if the front engine would've helped. Looks like the pole entered on an angle just missing the bumper, then buzzed right down the outside of the framerail like a saw against a guide. I'm thinking the ones that were killed were the ones with their seatbelts on, and the ones that survived were likely thrown out of their seats. What a shame.

[andyg]

Hot rod has a pretty good bead on this one. I've helped Dad convert an MCI and 2 Prevost coaches and they are all hell-for-stout. It looks like a perfect storm scenario got this coach if it had hit on the front of the bus I think that things would be much different. In most cases, I think that an inter-city coach would survive a crash even better than our truck conversions. With our trucks, you have a box on a frame. With a coach the box is part of the frame. The walls and roof are structural members making it like a big piece of box tubing with wheels.
P.S. That must be one hell of a sign post!

[bushpilot]

I agree Andy, and i tell my passengers, the safest place to be in an accident will be IN the cab.