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Bus company in crash has history of violations

Aaron Nathans, robin brown and Esteban Parra
The News Journal

The tour bus company named by police as involved in a crash in Delaware on Sunday afternoon had been stopped by federal agents for inspections 30 times since August 2012, and had been cited for 18 safety violations during that period, according to government records.

The most recent of these inspections, on July 23, yielded two citations for working a driver for too many hours.

Delaware State Police identified the company that owned the bus as AM USA Express, which is listed on federal records with an address of 16 Bowery in New York's Chinatown.

AM USA Express on Sunday night did not answer its phone, which had a recording saying voice mail had not been set up for the account.

But an email response was received at 8:35 a.m. Monday from Ken Ng, who identified himself as the bus company's service manager. He did not answer any questions, saying only, "We don't want to reply to any inquiry until we have handled all the injury passengers."

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.

"We just got up there today," NTSB spokesman Peter Knudson said on Monday. "We'll be documenting the scene and doing that for the next couple of days."

NTSB also will investigate the highway and interview witnesses before issuing its preliminary report.

"Our goal is to have it out within 10 business days of the day of the accident," he said. The entire investigation can take up to a year.

Initial identification of the bus was delayed after the fatal crash, state police said, because there was no company name, information or logo on the bus.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration online records show the company may be "prioritized for an intervention action and roadside inspection" based on hours-of-service violations.

According to the agency, AM USA Express Inc. was involved in a two-vehicle crash in rainy daytime conditions in New York State on June 13 of this year, with no injuries or fatalities. The 45-year-old driver was issued a citation, according to the records.

The records show the company had its insurance revoked, and along with it, its operating authority, for four days in April 2012.

On Sunday, tourists were returning from a three-day trip from New York to Washington, D.C., when their bus overturned as it was exiting Del. 1 at Tybouts Corner, Delaware State Police said early Monday.

The accident claimed the lives of two female passengers and injured 48 others.

The victims were riding on a 1996 Setra Touring Coach Bus that flipped Sunday afternoon as it attempted to exit Del. 1 at the U.S. 13 northbound exit at 4:20 p.m., said Sgt Paul G. Shavack.

Shavack said the passengers were a part of a tour group on a three-day trip from New York to Washington, D.C. The group was returning to New York at the time of the crash, he said.

The driver, Jinli Zhao, 56, was properly restrained and was taken by ambulance to St. Francis Hospital in Wilmington, where he was being treated for minor injuries Sunday, Shavack said.

Breaking News Editor Kevin Richardson contributed to this report.

Contact Aaron Nathans at (302) 324-2786 or anathans@delawareonline.com.