The tour bus involved in a fatal crash outside the Grand Canyon last Friday afternoon was operated by Comedy On Deck Tours, a Las Vegas-based company that offers sightseeing excursions guided by comedians.
Grand Canyon Tour Bus Crash Claimed Life of Indiana Woman
The January 22nd tour bus accident occurred at approximately 12:00 p.m., as 48 people, including the driver, were headed to the Grand Canyon West viewpoint on the Hualapai Reservation. According to authorities, the vehicle rolled and landed on its side near milepost 5 on Diamond Bar Road in Mohave County, Arizona.
A 53-year-old woman from Boone, Indiana, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Forty-five others were taken to Kingman Regional Medical Center, including three people listed in critical condition. Two of those individuals were later airlifted to an undisclosed hospital in Las Vegas. According to an update issued yesterday by the Mohave County Sherriff’s Office, all three have since been upgraded to stable condition.
While officials have not released any other information about the passengers, it appears most were from the United States. Their ages ranged from 20 to 60 years.
Comedy On Deck Runs Tours from the Las Vegas Strip
Comedy On Deck runs sightseeing tours to the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam from the Las Vegas Strip.
According to the Associated Press, the company’s website says safety concerns led to the use of comedians as guides, so bus drivers would not have to perform double duties.
Records from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration indicate Comedy On Deck agreed to a $1,980 settlement a decade ago for violating a policy that bars commercial vehicles from operating without authorization from federal transportation officials. However, the regulator refused to say if the company was accused of using a bus that wasn’t registered or licensed to transport passengers.
So far, it’s not clear what caused last Friday’s fatal accident. But some passengers have indicated that speed might have been a factor.
“The investigation into why the accident occurred is still ongoing, and more information will be released pending the results of the investigation,” the Sherriff’s Office stated.
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Our Undefeated Bus Accident Lawyers continue to monitor developments surrounding the Comedy On Deck bus crash in Arizona and will post updates as new information is released.
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