A 2015
Chevrolet Equinox sport utility vehicle driven by a 53-year-old driver, was
traveling east on US Highway 76 in Belton, South Carolina, when it entered an
approximately 3-degree righthand curve, departed the eastbound travel lane and
crossed into the westbound lane, colliding with the front left corner a 2009
Ford E350 14-passenger medium-size bus. The bus, carrying seven
passengers, was operated by the Anderson County Disabilities and Special Needs
Board with a 27‑year‑old driver.
The
preliminary report states the driver of the SUV had been swerving completely
across both lanes from shoulder to shoulder before striking the bus.
According to data from the SUV’s airbag control module, the driver was not
wearing a seat belt. She was ejected from the SUV and fatally injured during
the crash sequence.
(This photo, taken Dec. 17, 2019,
captures emergency vehicles and first-responders as seen on the Westbound view
of the crash scene with the coach bus in its final resting position on a grassy
area after colliding with the SUV. Source: Anderson County Coroner’s Office)
All
occupants of the bus wore restraints. However, as a result of the crash, one
lap-belted passenger seated behind the driver was partially ejected and fatally
injured. The bus driver and the six remaining passengers sustained minor to
serious injuries.
The
information contained in the report is preliminary and subject to change. As
such, no conclusions regarding probable cause or contributing factors should be
made from the information in the preliminary report. The crash remains under
investigation and analysis of the crash facts, along with conclusions and a
determination of probable cause, will come at a later date when the final
report is completed.
The
NTSB is conducting its safety investigation alongside the South Carolina
Highway Patrol, which is conducting a separate, parallel investigation.
The preliminary report can be
found online at http://go.usa.gov/xdbvH.To report an incident/accident or if you are a public safety agency, please call 1-844-373-9922 or 202-314-6290 to speak to a Watch Officer at the NTSB Response Operations Center (ROC) in Washington, DC (24/7).
