​On August 31, 2024, about 12:33 a.m. central daylight time, a motorcoach operated by Transportes Regiomontanos was traveling west on Interstate 20 near Vicksburg, Mississippi, when its front-left steer axle tire failed. The motorcoach departed the roadway to the left, entered the median, and overturned onto its left side. The motorcoach was occupied by a 54-year-old driver, a co-driver, and 42 passengers. Seven passengers died, 8 sustained serious injuries, and 13 sustained minor injuries. The driver sustained minor injuries, and the co-driver sustained serious injuries.​

​​We determined that that the probable cause of the Vicksburg, Mississippi, roadway departure and overturn crash was the catastrophic failure of the left steer axle tire on the motorcoach due to previous impact damage to the tire’s internal structure. 

Contributing to the crash was the inadequate vehicle inspection process of the motor carrier, Transportes Regiomontanos, which permitted the motorcoach to operate with damaged and overdeflected tires. Contributing to the occupant ejections and the fatalities were the motor carrier’s use of a motorcoach that was not compliant with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and failure to ensure that the motorcoach-equipped lap-only seat belts were operational, accessible, and properly used by passengers.

​​The Vicksburg, Mississippi, crash demonstrates that proper tire pressure maintenance is critical, particularly when tires may have sustained internal damage that cannot be detected visually. Motorcoaches equipped with systems designed to automatically maintain and monitor tire pressure must have those systems properly configured and operational. When such systems are unavailable or deactivated, periodic manual tire pressure checks beyond visual inspection are essential. The NTSB has previously recommended both manual tire pressure checks and tire pressure monitoring systems for motorcoaches.

This crash is also a reminder that seat belts can protect motorcoach occupants only if they are functional, accessible, and properly worn. Motor carriers play a critical role in establishing and following procedures that ensure seat belts remain available and functional for passengers. The NTSB has previously recommended that that motorcoach carriers regularly inspect all seat belts for functionality and accessibility.