Recently, rock band Hinder was involved in a Putnam County bus crash while passing through Nashville on their way to North Carolina to begin a North American tour.
According to the Cookeville Herald-Citizen, the Nashville bus accident was a secondary crash that happened when a vehicle heading east on Interstate 40 lost control and hydroplaned. As other vehicles tried to avoid the initial wreck, Hinder’s tour bus, which was also traveling eastbound on I-40, reportedly rear-ended a tractor-trailer truck. After colliding with the truck, Hinder’s bus crashed into a concrete barrier that separated the eastbound and westbound lanes of I-40, coming to a halt with the driver’s side pinned against the barrier.
The bus driver was trapped in the vehicle following the wreck, with troopers having to use a complicated extrication procedure to free him. The driver of the tractor-trailer truck received a serious cut to the back of his head during the crash. The bus driver and two others from the bus were taken to Cookeville Regional Medical Center following the accident. The truck driver also had to be taken to a Nashville area hospital for treatment. The bus driver was later moved to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to undergo surgery on a broken leg.
In the wake of the multi-vehicle wreck, troopers discovered the bus was not carrying a logbook and had not been assigned a US Department of Transportation number. In addition, the bus driver did not have a license to legally drive a bus and was operating the vehicle without his required medical card.
HOW DO I KNOW IF A BUS IS SAFE TO RIDE?
Prior to taking a ride on a bus, you should always research a bus company’s safety record. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) offers an online tool for checking a bus line’s safety record. You can also use the FMCSA’s SaferBus mobile app to review a bus company’s record. You should never ride on a bus if the bus company is not authorized to operate by the FMCSA. For a bus company to be authorized to operate, it must fulfill the following requirements:
- Current FMCSA operating authority registration and US Department of Transportation number
- $5 million or more in insurance coverage
- Maintain accessibility as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28