The Washington State Patrol has completed their investigation into a year old bus accident that took place on May 6, 2013 in Kirkland, Washington. Authorities are suggesting that the driver of the bus may be charged with vehicular homicide in the incident. The accident caused the deaths of two people.
The charges that the investigators are suggesting be filed against driver Aleksandr Rukhlin include two counts of vehicular homicide as well as a single count of hit-and-run. Rukhlin was driving his Route 535 bus northbound on Interstate 405 at 9:33 p.m. when he exited the highway and ran through a red light at the intersection. His bus struck a Ford Escape sport utility vehicle that was travelling across the overpass, then continued across the road, down the onramp and back onto the freeway.
Passengers who were onboard the bus at the time of the accident reported screaming at the driver to stop, but he ignored their pleas and continued to drive north on I-405 for another three quarters of a mile before they were able to force him to pull over and stop the bus.
Shortly after the accident, the driver was interviewed by the Seattle Times, and said, “I just pushed on the pedal. There was nothing, I couldn’t stop the bus. The air pressure was fine – I don’t know why it didn’t work. I was confused … I lowed down the gear, and it couldn’t stop the bus.” Investigators say that the bus, a 2008 Gillig Phantom had recorded nearly 300,000 miles at the time of the accident, well within its anticipated 500,000 mile rating. A police investigation determined that the bus was mechanically sound.
The accident killed Robert and Elizabeth Rotta of Bellevue, who were driving in a car driven by their son, Ken Rotta. The younger man suffered a broken rib in the incident. His parents had been married for 54 years.
There is still no information as to what compelled the 54-year old driver to act as he did. According to investigators Rukhlin was cooperative during the course of the investigation, there were no mechanical problems with the bus that he was driving and all of the signs and road signals were operating correctly at the time of the accident. The bus was operated by Community Transit. First Transit subcontracts that company’s operations and maintenance needs.