A tragic bus crash in Illinois has raised serious concerns about safety on the roads, particularly for long-haul truckers. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported that a shortage of safe parking for trucks contributed to the accident that occurred on July 12, 2023. The crash involved a Greyhound bus that hit three semitrailers parked on a rest area ramp, resulting in three fatalities and injuries to several others.
The bus, carrying 22 passengers, was traveling westbound on Interstate 70 when it exited onto a rest area ramp near Highland, about 32 miles east of St. Louis. At approximately 1:48 a.m., the bus collided with the parked trucks, shearing off the right side of the vehicle. The NTSB found that driver fatigue and poor oversight by Greyhound also played significant roles in the incident.
Jennifer Homendy, the chairperson of the NTSB, emphasized that the crash was preventable. She highlighted a critical lack of safe truck parking, noting that while parking on rest stop ramps is illegal, enforcement is weak due to the overwhelming need for parking spaces among the 13 million trucks on U.S. roads. The federal government monitors truckers’ hours and rest periods electronically, but the shortage of available parking remains a pressing issue.
The investigation revealed that the bus driver had a troubling history, including four previous accidents—two of which were preventable—and a pattern of speeding captured by electronic monitoring. Greyhound acknowledged its cooperation with the NTSB but refrained from commenting further due to ongoing litigation.
In this unfortunate incident, three bus passengers lost their lives, while the bus driver and 11 others sustained injuries. Interestingly, the report indicated that injuries could have been reduced if more passengers had been wearing the seatbelts provided on the bus, as required by Illinois law.
This accident serves as a stark reminder of the need for better safety measures and parking solutions for truck drivers, as well as the importance of driver oversight in preventing such tragedies on our roads.