This just in about the bus accident which happened on January 7, 2008 on Interstate 595 in Broward County Florida. See commentary and questions after the facts:

Shortly after 9 a.m., paramedics, police and deputies from Davie, Plantation and the Broward Sheriff’s Office responded to the accident scene just west of the State Road 7 exit. They set up a triage area where they treated 42 tour bus passengers, said Braulio Rosa, spokesman for Davie Fire Rescue.

In all, 32 people were transported to Broward General Medical Center, in Fort Lauderdale, and Memorial Regional Hospital, in Hollywood, Rosa said.

There were no deaths, but one person in serious condition was flown to Broward General, Rosa added.

Traffic was shut down for more than an hour in both directions of the highway after the accident. Both the tour bus and the black Mustang had been heading west on the rain-slick road when Davie resident Omar Abu-Jabir, the driver of the Mustang, apparently lost control of his vehicle and hit the tour bus, said Sgt. Mark Wysocky, spokesman for the Florida Highway Patrol.

The bus, driven by Gustavo Orduñez, 62, of Hialeah, swerved across the road, broke through the median railing and crossed the eastbound lanes, eventually stopping on a grassy shoulder against the wall of the S.R. 7 northbound exit ramp.

The Mustang, partially crushed and charred from the impact, came to rest on the median. Abu-Jabir, 34, was hospitalized in critical condition, according to Wysocky.

“The Mustang was in really bad shape,” Rosa said. “It looked pretty much totaled.”

Relatives of Abu-Jabir could not be reached to comment Saturday night. Records show his driving history include citations for speeding, improper lane changes, driving with a suspended license, failure to pay traffic fines and driving with an expired tag.

As paramedics rescued passengers from the tour bus, many retrieved their luggage and hugged each other, Rosa said.

Many drivers along Interstate 595 got out of their cars as they waited in gridlocked traffic. The road was reopened about 10:30 a.m.

Doctors at Broward General said they received 19 accident victims. Two remained in critical condition Saturday afternoon, one with severe injuries and bleeding in the brain, “but not the kind that surgical intervention might help,” said Dr. Moshe Stav, a trauma surgeon in the emergency room.

Five other passengers suffered serious wounds that weren’t considered life-threatening, and the rest were treated for soft-tissue injuries and knee fractures, as well as bumps and bruises, Stav said.
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Questions and comments:

1. What is the driving history of the driver of the mustang? Who owned the car he was driving? Was it a rental car? What made him lose control?

2. What was the driving history of the driver of the bus? For how long had he been with the company? Did he in fact have his seatbelt fastened? If not, did he lose control because he did not have the seatbelt on and then he was thrown from his seat? Why was there not a shoulder harness for him? If there was, why was he not wearing it? Did the bus driver over react to this Mustang coming into his lane?

It seems like both drivers were at fault in this accident. The investigation into these personal injury cases and the bus and car accident should not ignore these facts and these questions.