The driver of a charter bus that crashed last week in Alabama with dozens of Channelview High School band students aboard may have become unresponsive just before the vehicle veered off the highway.
Tragically, Harry Caligone, ,65 a veteran bus driver with more than 20 years of experience behind the wheel, died in the accident.
Three dozen people, mostly students, were transferred to hospitals in Florida and Alabama with injuries that ranged from minor to serious.
Crash Investigators Believe Driver Never Applied Brakes
The deadly accident occurred sometime around 5:30 a.m. local time on March 13th, when a charter bus owned and operated by Houston-based First Class Tours veered over the median and into the eastbound lanes of Interstate-10.
Investigators say the vehicle then hit a guardrail, causing it to dart back onto the median and fall 50 feet into a ravine.
There were no signs of skid marks, indicating that the bus driver never applied the brakes.
Band Director Tried to Steer Bus After Driver Became Unresponsive
Witnesses aboard the bus reported that Caligone appeared unresponsive right before the crash.
Aaron Allison, the Channelview High School Band Director, tried unsuccessfully to rouse the driver before taking the wheel and steering the vehicle away from oncoming traffic.
Investigators are now trying to determine whether or not Caligone may have suffered from any medical conditions that could have contributed to the accident.
Autopsy findings are so far inconclusive. Officials are hoping that yet-to-be-completed blood and tissue tests will shed more light on his health just prior to the crash.
Charter Bus Was Scheduled to Meet a Relief Driver
The charter bus involved in last week’s accident was brand new and only making its second trip when it crashed.
According to an official with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, Caligone was scheduled to meet a relief driver in Mobile, Alabama and hadn’t exceeded the number of hours he was legally allowed to drive.
Caligone had spent the last 15 years of his career driving for First Class Tours. His family told local media outlets that he had recently passed a physical and disputed any possibility that he may have fallen asleep at the wheel.
Were You or a Loved One Injured in the Channelview High School Charter Bus Crash? Contact Our Undefeated Bus Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation at 1-888-603-3636 or by Clicking Here.
Our firm’s investigation of the Channelview High School charter bus crash is ongoing, and will continue to post updates as more information becomes available.
With more than $1 billion won for our clients, including hundreds of people who were injured or tragically killed in connection with bus crashes and other motor vehicle accidents in Texas and throughout the United States, our Undefeated Bus Accident Attorneys have the resources and skills needed to hold the world’s largest commercial carriers accountable and ensure that our clients and their families are fully compensated for all of their injuries and losses.
If you or someone you love was injured in the Channelview High School Bus Crash, and you would like to discuss your options with an Experienced Houston Bus Accident Attorney, call 1-888-603-3636 or Click Here to send us a confidential email through our “Contact Form.”
All questions and consultations are free, and because we work exclusively on a contingency-fee basis, you’ll pay nothing unless we win your case.