03/23/2011 // New York City, New York, US // New York City Accident Lawyer // Jonathan C. Reiter
New York City (New York Personal Injury News) – In an update to the previously reported article New York City Bus Accident Lawyer News: 13 Dead, 19 Injured, the driver of the bus that overturned was operating the vehicle under a fraudulent license. The news about Ophadel Williams’ “false statements” that were given to the New York Department of Motor Vehicles was reported by the New York Daily News on Thursday, March 17, 2011.
Governor Cuomo’s director of State Operations, Howard Glaser reported that the DMV has since suspended Williams’ driving privileges. State officials claim Williams obtained his license by giving false statements and aliases to conceal his true driver’s license. The DMV reported they were combing their records to determine the exact number of aliases Williams used in the past.
According to reports, Williams’ driving privileges were already suspended under the alias of Eric Williams, a name he gave police during two stops that occurred within 8 days in 1995. When the incidents occurred, Williams told the officers he did not have his license with him.
While initial reports stated that 13 people aboard the World Wide Travel tour bus were killed, the number has since risen to 15. Williams initially claimed that he lost control of the vehicle after the tour bus was sideswiped by a tractor-trailer rig.
Passengers later reported that Williams fell asleep at the wheel before the bus tipped on I-95, skidding into a freeway sign near the Hutchinson River Parkway.
World Wide Tours was recently under fire by federal regulators for issues involving fatigued drivers. But, the company’s overall safety record still remains “satisfactory,” according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
This is the second major bus accident to take place in New York in the last seven months. On Sept. 11, 2010, a double-decker Megabus traveling from Philadelphia to Toronto ran into a low railroad bridge on the Onondaga Lake Parkway in Salina. Four people were killed and five others were seriously injured in the bus wreck. Jonathan C. Reiter, Esq., an attorney who represents the family of one of the passengers killed in the Salina, New York Megabus crash, reports there is an ongoing police investigation by the Onondaga Sheriff’s Department and the District Attorney’s office to determine whether criminal charges should be brought against the bus driver and/or Megabus in connection with that crash.
*Leading bus accident lawyer Jonathan C. Reiter states, if you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an automobile accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and damages. With over thirty years of experience litigating the complex claims of car, truck, motorcycle and bus accident victims and their families, contacting the Law Firm of Jonathan C. Reiter with regard to your personal injury case may help you obtain the compensation you deserve.
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