Houston METRO Bus Split in Half on 288 South; Driver Dead

HOUSTON - An accordion style METRO bus was involved in a major wreck on 288 South near Old Spanish Trail on Thursday morning. The driver died in the crash, and traffic is slow in the area.

The crash happened just after 8:30 a.m. in the southbound lanes of 288. There were delays in both directions inside the 610 Loop.

Houston TranStar reports the accident was cleared Thursday evening.

Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews will have to make repairs to the damaged bridge structure. Said repairs could take 12 - 72 hours to complete. Until then, one shoulder lane has been left open.

Aerial views from SkyFox show that the bus's two parts separated in the crash. The bus also appears to have hit an overpass support pillar. Several emergency vehicles are on the scene.

METRO says there were no passengers on the bus at the time.

A preliminary investigation indicates the driver was returning to the bus barn at the end of his shift when he lost control. The driver, David Sayers, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The bus apparently made contact with a nearby dump truck during the wreck. According to a METRO statement, Sayers lost control of the bus after hitting that dump truck.

The dump truck's driver was not injured.

According to a METRO spokeswoman, the accordion bus, also known as an articulated bus, was one of three still in service by the transit authority. METRO says it was in the process of phasing out the articulated buses for maintenance reasons.

METRO president and CEO George Greanias released the following statement:

“This is a tragic day. Our first thoughts are with David’s family and co-workers. We will do all we can to support them through this difficult time. We are deeply committed to a safe transit system for customers, operators and our community.”

Source: www.myfoxhouston.com
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