WILLIAMSBURG, Virginia – Federal investigators now believe fatigue played a major role in a party bus crash that killed three people near Williamsburg about two years ago.
Check out previous coverage: 3 dead, more injured after accident between semi-trailer and bus on I-64 in York County
3 dead, more injured after accident between semi-trailer and bus on I-64 in York County
According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), on December 16, 2022, at approximately 1:30 a.m., a party bus was traveling on I-64 at approximately 20 miles per hour when it was struck from behind by a semi-truck traveling at approximately 65 miles per hour.
NTSB
Virginia State Police with comments from the NTSB
Three people died in the accident: 25-year-old Xzavier Evans, 21-year-old Jontae Russel and 19-year-old Montia Bouie. Twenty others were hospitalized.
A recently released NTSB report states that the truck driver was tired due to “excessive driving times and lack of sleep.”
The report says the truck’s carrier, Triton Logistics, falsified driver accounts for its vehicles’ electronic recording systems. This allowed drivers to circumvent federal driving restrictions and drive while fatigued, the report says.
Check out previous coverage: Families want answers after fatal bus crash on I-64
Families want answers after fatal bus crash on I-64
The report also states that the bus was traveling significantly slower than the truck, which contributed to the severity of the accident.
The NTSB is calling on state and federal agencies to increase electronic recording and implement fatigue management to prevent accidents like this one.
The report says the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration should tighten requirements for electronic recording devices to prevent the creation of fake driver accounts.
It further states that Virginia should offer new intrastate trucking licensees a safety management guide that should address driver’s license class, drug and alcohol testing, fatigue management, vehicle maintenance and the safe operation of commercial vehicles.
Watch: Family of victims of York County party bus crash calls for charges
Police issue arrest warrants for both drivers in fatal accident on I-64
The tractor-trailer’s carrier, Triton Logistics, should implement a process to regularly check the accuracy of drivers’ service records and implement an effective fatigue management program, the report said.
The report further states that the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance should use this accident to educate its members about the importance of securing the electronic recording system to prevent falsification of information.
News 3’s Leondra Head spoke with Daqwone Hill, Evans’ brother, who leaves behind a son.
“My nephew not only lost his father, his mother was on the bus. His grandmother was on the bus. His aunts were on the bus. My nephew could have lost an entire family. His grandmother had to undergo multiple knee surgeries,” Hill said.
The owner of Dudley CDL School in Newport News says truck drivers in Virginia are only allowed to drive a maximum of 11 hours a day.
“You have to keep a log. These logs are important because if you go over your time, it will hurt you in your job and you could even get fired,” said Thomas Dudley, the owner of Dudley CDL School.
Initially, the police said they were seeking charges against both drivers, but now the public prosecutor’s office has announced that no charges will be filed in this case.
