U.S. News - party-bus

May

2013

5:10pm, EDT

Missouri mom killed when party bus doors fly open

A woman was struck by several cars after falling from a moving party bus on a Kansas City, Mo., interstate. KSHB's Garrett Haake reports.

By Andrew Rafferty, Staff Writer, NBC News

A 26-year-old Missouri mother died Saturday after falling out of a "party bus" when the vehicle's emergency doors flew open while driving on a busy highway en route to what was supposed to be a fun night out with friends.

Jamie Frecks was out celebrating a friend's bachelorette party when she fell out of the bus and was struck by at least three vehicles, NBC Kansas City affiliate KSHB reports.

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Frecks's aunt Cynthia Matteson said the family is devastated over the young mother's death and is demanding answers as to how the accident occurred.

"Why wasn't it secured?" Matteson told KSHB. "A person hires a person for safety, to get you there and back home. Why wasn't she brought back home safe?"

Eddy Goetz, one of the owners of Midnight Express party bus, which operates the vehicle, said the company has "no idea" how the doors could have come open.

In a statement to KSBH, Goetz said: "On behalf of the owners and employees of Midnight Express party bus, we want to express our sincere sympathy for the family and friends touched by Saturday night’s tragic accident that took the life of Jamie Frecks. We are trying to find out how the tragic accident could have happened. We will cooperate fully with everyone to find out the cause of this accident."

Frecks leaves behind a 5-month-old child.

Sep

2012

4:23am, EDT

NJ teen on party bus killed after hitting head on overpass, cops say

By NBC News staff and wire reports

FORT LEE, N.J. -- A 16-year-old New Jersey boy was killed after sticking his head out of a party bus and hitting an overpass just after crossing the George Washington Bridge Friday, authorities said.

The boy, from Sayreville, New Jersey, was on a double-decker bus with about 65 other teenagers headed to New Jersey for a sweet sixteen party, according to Port Authority spokesman Al Della Fave.

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They boarded the bus in Queens and crossed over the George Washington Bridge to New Jersey shortly after 6:30 p.m. ET on Friday.

As the bus exited the upper level to head toward Interstate 95, the boy opened the top hatch of the bus and stuck his head out, Della Fave said. His head struck the underside of the Fletcher Avenue overpass, causing extreme trauma.

Read the story on NBCNewYork.com

The boy was rushed to Hackensack University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

No other physical injuries were reported, but the other teens on board the bus appeared to suffer severe emotional trauma. They were taken to a bridge administration building on a lower lot, where their parents picked them up, NBC New York reported.

Della Fave said two adults on were on board the bus at the time: the driver and an assistant. The assistant's role was not immediately clear.

Designer Transportation, which operates the bus, expressed its "deepest heartfelt sympathy" for the boy's family.

Police are continuing to investigate.

The accident caused long delays Friday night as the express lanes of the I-95 southbound from the bridge were shut down while emergency responders rushed to the scene and police investigated.

NBC New York and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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