Did Nursing Home Residents Have To Die?

A bus which caught fire and burned killing many of the nursing home residents aboard during their evacuation from the recent hurricane was part of a fleet for a company with a very troubling  past.

On Sept. 23, a group of 37 nursing home residents was being moved from the Houston area because of Rita's approach when their Global bus caught fire while stuck in traffic near Dallas. A series of explosions - probably medical oxygen canisters igniting - fueled the flames and trapped most of the occupants.

Investigators have said the fire could have been caused by mechanical problems, possibly with the brakes.

Along with several documented licensing and vehicle problems, as far as back as two years ago the company had received complaints from riders as regards the smell of fuel while traveling on board one of the company's buses.

One of the 2002 complaints was written by Donald Spotts of Weslaco and sent to the Texas attorney general and other state officials. Spotts wrote that there was a "very strong odor of diesel fumes" on a Global bus that was carrying 48 senior citizens from Weslaco to Corpus Christi.

Many of the passengers were coughing and wheezing both ways on the 320-mile round trip, he wrote. In another complaint, a man named Ross Gunning claimed one of Global's buses was "swaying all over the road."

Another complainant identified as Sara Martinez wrote that most of the company's buses had oil and air leaks. A 2002 state inspection found several violations, including failure to implement an alcohol or drug testing program, failure to retain inspection and maintenance records for the proper period of time and failure to retain evidence of a brake inspector's qualifications.

According to federal records, drivers for Global Limo were ordered to stop driving five times in the past three years, mostly for infractions regarding bus logs. In 2004, the company was rated as "satisfactory," with no evidence of major safety problems in recent years, records show.

The driver of the bus that caught fire, Juan Robles Gutierrez, 37, was arrested Tuesday and jailed on immigration charges, the Houston Chronicle reported Thursday. Gutierrez is from Mexico.

Related story here.

Comments

[!]

That is such a sad thing that happened to those senior citzens. It broke my heart when I heard about it. Its even sadder now that we know more about what caused it. My heart breaks for the families of those people. :O(

[Steel]

Dan,

I keep hearing 'brakes' re this incident. That bus was caught in a huge traffic jam and was not going anywhere fast. No brakes were needed and so were not overheated.

It's MUCH more likely that the engine was dirty (covered with oil) and the overheating brought on by sitting in heavy traffic caused the sludge to ignite.

Given the company's poor maintainence history, I would suspect they didn't keep the manifold too clean and would let slow oil leaks go unattended, thereby increasing the chances of an engine fire.

Wanna bet?

[farmgirl]

this is an enforcement issue..the inspections showed the busses faulty ..they should have been repaired and re inspected or a system to keep them off the roads activated.

the fault? the owners for failing to maintain equipment, for hiring drivers with little training / skills

System: for failing to follow thru with inspection reports

and for failing to enforce standards on this line.

This is one of the problems that have been discussed and not resolved re: trucks coming into US on NAFTA highways...who going to hold them the equipment and the drivers to safe standards..?/

Its like the food indusry inspections..the violations are cited..the establishments have 3 months to correct..sometimes..who wants to eat in a cafe' for 3 months that has rat pellets in the pantry? We all do ..just dont' realize it.

In this case it ws the buses that were inspected, failed, and allowed to operate.

Also these old ones were placed on these buses with no care givers attending. On thier own..on the bus with only the drivers for 18 hours and more..so who's fault is that?

I just don't know.

A phone call would have brought more volunteers to load up then they could have used..the calls were never made.

Can you imagine a bus with 24 old ones, incontinent..thirsty without water or meds for 18 hours confined on a bus? They must have thougth they had already gone to Hell..then the fire for these on the bus that burned.