E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSView more videos at: http://nbcnewyork.com.
An NJ Transit driver fell asleep behind the wheel Monday morning, causing a crash that put 50 bus passengers in danger on their way into Manhattan, NBC 4 New York has learned exclusively.
Several passengers on board the 166-X bus from Englewood to Port Authority tell NBC 4 New York the driver nodded off and lost control of the bus, swerving into the guardrail and nearly falling off an overpass that runs above I-495.
Lila Noble, who was sitting toward the front of the bus, said she suddenly heard "clang, bang, boom."
"I looked up from my email and I saw that we were almost off the guardrail," she said.
Riders said the bus driver was startled awake when a woman on board screamed.
Read the original story on NBCNewYork.com
The driver pulled over, but only after the riders demanded he do so, passengers told NBC 4 New York.
"He said, 'Stay on, we can go,'" said Noble. "Nobody wanted any part of that."
Another bus picked up the passengers and continued the route. No one was hurt.
Several passengers filed complaints about the driver and the crash, but they said they haven't received a response to the incident.
NJ Transit spokesman John Durso said the bus operator was taken out of service as NJ Transit conducts an investigation.
That's only some relief to those passengers who are now second-guessing their commute.
"It needs to be addressed why inexperienced drivers are operating buses with 50 people's lives in their hands," said Noble.
Leave a Comment:
No one was hurt. The passengers are second guessing their commute? Really? Then buy a car, pay for insurance and drive yourself. If not, then quit your crying. It's not like this is a regular occurance.
Lisa, do you work as a bus driver? It doesn't seem too much to ask a professional driver to stay awake. No one was hurt, but that fact had nothing to do with the actions of the driver who was fast asleep while he and his bus were traveling down an interstate highway. People may not need to second guess their commute, but I sure would second guess that driver. Wouldn't you?
Lisa, Who are you and why are you blaming the passengers? Only a moron would suggest that they continue the ride with this sleepy driver. Remember he woke up only when a woman screamed.
This is not second guessing, he already proved that he could not be trusted with their lives when he fell asleep at the wheel. The people on the bus had no guarantee that the bus driver would not fall asleep again.
Can you honestly say that you would not mind having this man drive your children, family members or pets without serious concern for their safety? At best it would be negligent at worst criminal.
Long hours and Low pay, leads to loss of lives.
Calm down Vera sweetie. The article said the passengers were second guessing their commute. Not me. The passengers. Of course they were not continuing to ride on the same bus with the same driver. But if in the future they are worried this is going to happen again, they need to find a new form of transportation.
I am on the road every day. I have been fortunate not to have had anyone "run" into me due to sleep deprivation. It happens. It's called life and accidents happen.
lisa-3322183 wrote: Calm down Vera sweetie. The article said the passengers were second guessing their commute. Not me. The passengers. Of course they were not continuing to ride on the same bus with the same driver. But if in the future they are worried this is going to happen again, they need to find a new form of transportation.
I am on the road every day. I have been fortunate not to have had anyone "run" into me due to sleep deprivation. It happens. It's called life and accidents happen.
Lisa - try to keep up, sweetie. You parroted the "second guessing" issue as if that was some aberrant idea. It's not - it's a rational notion based on a valid experience. The wasn't just an accident - and it doesn't "just happen." This came from negligent driver 2ho failed to arrive to work prepared and able to do the job. I suppose if it didn't happen to YOU then how silly of others to raise a stink.
Your "oh well - buck up" reaction is ridiculous. Bus companies are required BY LAW to provide competent, well-rested drivers.
Wait till you have 13 million illegals from Mexico with REAL DRIVERS LICENSES on the roads. HUMAN TRAFFICKING will be a booming business!
Maybe pay more attention to what is going on around you.
Get your head......................aw, whats the use!
... ' " clang, bang, boom " ... Don't worry call the Car-X Man!'
Have you seen some of these bus drivers?? Where do the company's get them?? Looks like most of the come off the street corner...
Cheap labor!! I am sure the owner is living large!! Remember, this is all about CAPITALISM!! Just ask any Republican...safety and hiring excellent drivers is not a top concern when it comes to PROFITS!!! LMAO...probably uses the "Walmart Model" for running the company!!
This is sick!!!
Not so. They start over 40k!
I'm not saying that the passengers don't have a right to be scared. It doesen't matter if the driver was inexperienced or not if the human body is tired it's tired and Dispatch does not care if you are TIRED. The attitude of the dispatcher is "I DON'T GIVE A FVCK GET YOUR AZZ ON THAT BUS AND DRIVE OR LEAVE AND DON'T COME BACK." I drive a bus and we have people who because of the work hours NODD OFF BEHIND THE WHEEL and they have asked could to go home a bit early to keep things safe and this is the response the get "NO I NEED YOU HERE DRINK SOME MORE COFFEE." So don't jump on the driver just like with your job WORK or STARVE. These are the type of working conditions you get WHEN YOU HAVE THE MAJORITY OF THE AMERICAN WORKFORCE "SCARED" TO DO WHAT YOU KNOW IS RIGHT BECAUSE OF YOUR "I'M LUCKY AND YOU SHOULD BE LUCKY TO HAVE A JOB ATTITUDE"
B***S***, Lewis. If you can't do the job, don't TAKE the job.
Sounds like some new regulations are in order. If drivers are driving more hours than is safe, the public needs to know about it. And the government needs to do something about it.
Regulations...yes, I so agree with it. However, you have the Republicans who think LESS regulation is what we need. I am still not convinced every time I read stories like this on a daily basis. We need more regulation until the Republicans can prove this won't happen anymore.
You get what you pay for.
guess he couldn't a job as a taxi driver...
Couldn't hack it?
The driver is responsible for obeying the rules of the road, driving defensively, and protecting the lives of the passengers at ALL TIMEs, not just part of the time. End of story!
...i wonder how many drivers have been laid off requiring this guy to take a risk by driving whilst sleepy... that's right... i said whilst....
Lisa, sweetie yourself, it seems like you've calmed down from your rant suggesting that the passengers buy a car and pay insurance and quit their crying. Glad you're feeling better.
The Government deregulated Trucking back in the 80's. This lead to a race to the bottom in freight rates and pay.
I don't keep up with the bus regulation end of things but I am sure they suffer the same fate.
I retired after 36 years of trucking and if I am not mistaken bus drivers could only drive so many hours without a break same as a trucker.
Who is Noble? How does he know the driver was inexperienced? Maybe they were just having him work to many hours.
Over the Road that exactly what I was going to say. Could be anything that caused him to fall asleep, could be a little sick to having a baby that keeps you up at night.
2012-12-05
6:41 PM
The case of a NJ Bus Driver falling asleep while driving a bus?
In my opinion I can be wrong, the bus driver was body and or mind possessed to fall asleep. He could have been body dropped, fainted, collapsed gently, etc....
In my opinion I can be wrong, God is power projecting in a gentle way because no one was hurt.
What to do with persons who may not be at fault, but appear to be at fault? Lisa in her comment was forgiving. Others disagreed. Should we be forgiving or be furious. Well what if God chose us instead of the NJ bus driver to fall asleep, faint, collapse, body drop while working?
Should we ask our colleagues, complete strangers to forgive us or should we expect our colleagues, complete strangers to lynch us for being careless.
Because I have been hearing voices and seeing visions since 1985 and I do not seems to be sleeping 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 4 weeks in a month, 12 months in a year for years now, my reaction to blaming someone for error in judgment is very slow, in slow motion. I simply tell them that their body and or mind possessed and that they should correct their error or mistake if possible. If not, I simply am going to point the error again and again if its an error and wait for them to correct the problem eventually in a day, in a week, in a month, in a year, or even in several years or decades.
I do not know how to control possessed persons.
Not many persons probably know how to control possessed persons. Acting brutal is bad because there is a tendency to escalate the problem.
But then is there a way to escape the brutal actions or not. I do not know because both sides are body and or mind possessed. God can possessed both sides to script or plan an event or events.
Visit my website at www.asking11220.com and read my web page reports. After you know or become familiar with God's activities or actions, sent I your comment at asking11220@asking11220.com.
Tell I what you think. Should one be forgiving or react strongly? Should one be forgiving, but requires the person in this case the NJ bus driver to read my religious books? Should one be forgiving, but requires the person to change jobs? Should one be forgiving, but requires the bus company to install anti-sleep evices to wake the driver if he or she falls asleep?
Every bus incident I hear about reminds me of a bus ride late back from a wedding. We made it onto the bus late and ended up with the very front seats, which had seat belts available. When the driver saw us putting the seat belts on, he said "Oh, don't bother with those". We did anyway. We were tired from lots of traveling and being in those front seats all I could think of was flying through the windshield.
Thankfully nobody got hurt this time.
Most likely a scab driver working for a company owned by some third world phuck. He may have been too tired for his shift. Laid up with some crack whore from NJ. He could be related to that dumb phuck from Miami who drove a bus into a low clearance overhead.
This is why we have so many issues in this country concerning kids going hungry, crime and welfare. POS like this think they can go around and father several kids with several women and then shrug off the responsibility. I say snip him and put him in a prison camp to pay for everything.