Softball Team Bus Crash
 

Well, here we are, making the news up here again. This time not so good...

Please keep the team members in your thoughts as they recover from this accident!

KOMO 4

KING 5

KIRO 7

Seattle PI

Seattle Times

That's horrible. If - as stated in the article - the low bridge was clearly marked, the bussy is in a world of trouble.

Ruth? http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV...,296_SS90_.jpg

$154
 

That's all the driver got for a fine.

Times Followup

PI Followup

I drive under this 2X daily, going to and from office. It is VERY clearly marked. There are height detectors which trigger large signs with big flashing orange lights warning you to turn well before the bridge. Fine might have gotten only a $154 fine from Seattle's finest, but I am certain ye olde bus company will be in a world of hurt.

Hopefully there will be no long term medical problems resulting from this.

This story does raise one question for me though - how many school systems use charter busses like this to transports athletic teams? All the towns in my area use school busses.

Around here, this is true as well. (Except for one extremely rich Dallas "neighborhood" that will go un-named.) At least this is true for the regular season. As the playoffs get deeper and deeper, you start to see more of the chartered buses.

A couple of school districts around here use one company for their school bus service that also has charter coaches. Apparently, if one of the coaches is not being run, they will sub that for the school bus - lucky kids!

This company also has school buses that have rudimentary AC, and PA systems...

I had to read this a couple of times before I realized you were talking about a bus :p

Geez, a charter for HS play? I've had to wait up to an hour cause the visiting team had trouble finding transport! It's not the scarcity of the buses, but rather drivers!

That's exactly why many schools around here use charters for their athletic teams.

yeah...in the industry (my dad drove for an intercity bus company), there is a
differential between a 'bus' and a 'coach'....

Another case of GPS-fixation
 

According to one of the tech blogs I frequent, it appears the driver was depending on his company-supplied GPS. While the GPS has a setting for "bus," it doesn't know the exact heights to all of the bridges.

I have a GPS myself, and if there's one thing I've learned by it, it is NOT to trust everything it tells you.

I am one of the players on this bus during the crash. i would like to thank everyone for their worries. everyone of my teamates and coach is ok. we were all released from the hospitol the night of the crash.

Thanks for the report!

Glad to hear all are OK. Best wishes for the balance of your season.