South Carolina Lawyer Blog
A bus driver was killed and 30 of his passengers were injured when his tour bus drove off a South Carolina highway into some trees on early Monday morning. The bus accident happened on a rural stretch of highway and no other vehicles were involved. The tour bus was traveling from St. Stephen to Miami for a cruise, according to an Associated Press report.
George William Thomas, 58, veered off Interstate 26 at around 1 a.m. after he suffered a brain aneurysm, according to Dorchester County officials. He died from injuries related to the crash near Ridgeville, about 25 miles northwest of Charleston, South Carolina. The 30 passengers on the bus mostly suffered minor injuries.
South Carolina Bus accidents can be some of the most serious and often tragic vehicle accidents on our highways. City buses and interstate buses are required to abide by several important safety regulations. Drivers must not drive over a certain amount of hours in a 24 hour period, they must be properly trained and licensed, and they must travel at slower speed limits than other drivers.
Our South Carolina bus accident attorneys have experience fighting for the rights of those who are injured due to the negligence of auto and bus operators. In this instance the driver of the tour bus was charged with careless driving in a separate commercial bus accident eight months prior. No one was injured, but the question remains, was Mr. Thomas fit to operate this bus? Was the medical condition that caused the crash, pre-existing? Did his employer know about it? These are all questions that should be answered when establishing negligence in a South Carolina personal injury matter.