Bus defects played part in accident

By Cindy Koons
Collegian Staff Writer

Mechanical bus defects surfaced during investigations of vehicles involved in the Nov. 21 bus crash, which claimed two lives and left more than 100 students injured, according to the Pennsylvania State Police.

Four buses, two cars and a pickup truck crashed on Interstate 80 at exit 41 near White Haven. Penn State student Denise R. Orndorff and bus driver Robert Clifford Burge died as a result of the accident.

During inspection on Dec. 16 and 17, both the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and the U.S. Department of Transportation examined the vehicles.

Upon inspection, mechanical defects were discovered and confirmed, said Cpl. Chriss Grube of the Swiftwater State Police.

The role the mechanical defects played in the accident has yet to be determined, he added.

Although inspectors found several defects, the details surrounding them cannot be released until it is determined they contributed to the accident. The process could take up to several months, Grube said.

"Possibly (mechanical defects) contributed to the accident, but it wasn't the main cause," he said.

Grube cited excessive speed and limited visibility as the current foremost contributing factors in the crash. The buses encountered a thick patch of fog along the interstate as they returned from their day trip to New York City.

Of the buses involved in the crash, none overturned. However, all of them sustained damage in the front, rear or both ends.

The Association of Residence Hall Students, which sponsored the trip, is allowing the university to handle procedures with Blue and White Lines Inc., said Jamie Harmer, executive vice president of ARHS. She added the New York bus trip was the first time the group used Blue and White Lines Inc.

Officials from Blue and White Lines Inc. could not be reached for comment.