Two double-decker tour buses were involved in a serious accident in Times Square on the afternoon of August 5, 2014, reportedly leaving 15 or more people wounded in the collision. Most of the injured parties were pedestrian bystanders who were struck by one of the buses as it plowed into a sport-utility vehicle, then crashed into another two-tiered tour bus. The bus then knocked over a traffic light and came to a stop up on the walkway next to a popular discount ticket booth. Several of the injured were hurt when the traffic signal was hit by the bus, causing it to fall over and strike them where they stood, although none of the injuries are reported to have been critical.
The bus that is reported to have caused the accident was being driven by one William Dalambert, a 58-year-old man from New Jersey with a lengthy history of registration suspensions as well as multiple license suspensions in his past—nearly two dozen in combined total. The most recent suspension was less than one year ago, although the license had been reinstated by the time of the accident. One question that has come of this is just how a person with such a dubious driving record can be given a job as bus driver.
Dalambert was arrested on a charge of impaired driving after failing a field sobriety test just after the accident, and he acquiesced to a blood and urine test later that day to determine what, if any, illegal or prescription drugs may have been in his system at the time of the accident. Results of the preliminary tests came back clean, although the full-scale toxicology report has yet to be released to the general public as of this writing. Dalambert has since been released pending those results.
Dalambert alleged that a problem with the bus’ brakes was to blame for his loss of control over his vehicle. However, inspectors for the Gray Line bus company—owners of the bus Dalambert was driving at the time of the accident—were unable to find any issues with the machinery of the bus that would lead to said supposed brake failure.
The Gray Line bus company is a subsidiary of Twin America. Twin America stated that they intend to cooperate fully with investigators and are currently reviewing their rules with regard to driver hiring and vehicular safety.