Fire Chief Killed When Speeding Bus Hits Previous Accident

Posted in Car Accidents,Our Blog on August 29, 2016

There was an accident in the early morning on Interstate 10 in Louisiana, in the westbound lanes. Emergency units were contacted and responded to the scene. At least one fire truck was park in the highway and the firemen were helping those who had been involved in the wreck.

Then things took an even more devastating turn when a bus, speeding and coming up on the accident scene, failed to stop in time. The bus slammed into the firetruck, into multiple cars and into three firemen standing next to a guardrail. They were tossed helplessly over the rail, with a 30-40 foot drop below them. They landed in the water.

Tragically, the fire chief was killed in the accident. He was just 36 years old. The other firefighters who went over the rail appear to have survived the incident, though one is in critical condition.

He wasn’t the only one to be killed. As noted, the speeding bus hit a car along with the firetruck, and it had at least four people inside. Three were injured, one was hospitalized in critical condition, just clinging to life, and the fourth was killed. All in all, 41 people had to be brought to the hospital.

The bus driver is a 37-year-old man from Honduras. Authorities say that not only did he not have a license to drive the bus, but he had entered the United States illegally. They’re now planning to charge him with a host of counts, including reckless operation and a pair of counts for negligent homicide. They expect more to be brought against him as the case progresses.

An accident can take a loved one’s life in a split second. Grieving families can be left with significant financial hurdles when this happens, and they need to know how to seek compensation for a wrongful death.