Feds To Talk To Charter Bus Owner
List Of Deceased
Slideshow: Fatal Church Charter Bus Crash
Bus driver Barrett Wayne Broussard, 52, remained in critical condition at a Sherman hospital. No one answered the phone at his Houston home.The unlicensed bus smashed into a guardrail and skidded off a highway early Friday morning near the Texas-Oklahoma border. Twelve people died at the scene and five more have died at area hospitals.Federal regulators shut down the companies that have been linked to the charter bus.The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration ordered Iguala BusMex and Angel Tours Inc. to cease commercial operations. The agency issued a second order finding that the activities of Angel De La Torre, owner and president of the bus companies, "in connection with motor carrier operations pose an 'imminent hazard' to the public." Authorities also announced that an Iguala BusMex bus was pulled out of service at the religious festival in Carthage, Mo., because it was unauthorized to operate. Iguala BusMex applied in June for a federal license to operate as a charter but was still awaiting approval, according to online records. Angel Tours was forced by federal regulators to take its vehicles out of interstate service June 23 after an unsatisfactory review.Broussard's driving record includes citations for driving while intoxicated in 2001 and for speeding in May 2004 and March 2007. His license was suspended for two months in 2001 because of the DWI conviction in Harris County, said Debbie Hersman, a spokeswoman for the National Transportation Safety Board. Broussard failed roadside inspections twice last year, Hersman said. Inspectors pulled his bus out of service both times. Robert Accetta, the NTSB member leading the investigation, said an investigator will travel to Houston to learn more about the two bus companies.Victim Owned Clear Lake Alternation ShopAmong the 17 victims killed in the bus crash was the owner of Ta Alternations in Clear Lake -- Mindy Hao Vo, 50, a mother of five.Longtime customers stopped by the shop on Monday to offer their condolences."Her personality and her interest, her kindness -- she always thought she was a friend of the customer," customer Jim Wallace said."They always did beautiful work and she was a beautiful person," customer Marcia Galvan said. "I feel sorry for her family."Parishioners Return HomeA busload of Houston parishioners breathed sighs of relief when they returned home early Monday morning from their pilgrimage to Missouri.The group celebrated through praise when they set foot in the parking lot of the Vietnamese Martyr Catholic Church in southeast Houston."I feel very happy, thank you, Lord," Long Tran exclaimed.Parishioners said they were worried when their returning bus broke down en route to Houston. A mechanic repaired it within an hour."Everybody asked, 'Are we going to be OK?' I said, 'God will be with us always,'" parishioner Tran Nguyen said.Five of the victims who died in the Sherman crash were members of the Vietnamese Martyr Church congregation.Nguyen and the group learned of the crash through phone calls from relatives and from their pastor who saw it on the news."I feel sorry for the loss in our church," Nancy Tran said.The return was emotional and somber as they reflected on the lives lost from their congregation."I saw a lot of yellow ribbons at the church and I was touched by it. I asked everyone to pray for my friends," Nguyen said.Wreckage Inspected For Answers Inspectors are looking at the mechanics of the wrecked bus and examining its interior damage, Accetta said. Authorities said the vehicle's right front tire, which blew out, had been retreaded in violation of safety standards. The bus skidded about 130 feet before striking a guardrail. It then traveled nearly 120 feet before coming to rest down an embankment near a creek. The wreckage sits in the city impound lot. All the emergency windows on its right side are broken. Overhead bins on the right side appear to be collapsed. Some seats -- all of which are still anchored to the floor, Hersman said -- are warped toward the windows. The front right corner of the bus is smashed. All the wheels have been removed. At the crash site along the Texas-Oklahoma border, travelers stepped from their cars or from buses on Sunday and placed candles, a wreath of flowers, and a cross and a card at the makeshift memorial. Mourners gathered in a circle and sang a prayer for the victims. Some wept. "I was pretty shocked when I heard about it because ... there's a lot of people that we know on that bus," said James Tran, 28, of Houston. "So I'm thinking that could have been us and it made me realize that life is really short and precious and you never know when -- you know -- it might can happen to you." The crash in Sherman is among the nation's deadliest. In 2005, 23 people were killed near Dallas when a bus carrying nursing home residents away from Hurricane Rita caught fire.Fund Set UpA fund has been set up to help the victims' families. Donations can be made at any Washington Mutual Bank in the name of Missouri victims.The money will be used for burial and medical expenses, as well as to help children who lost a parent.
- August 10, 2008: Vietnamese Community Comes Together To Heal
- August 10, 2008: Families Mourn Bus Crash Victims
- August 10, 2008: Names Of Deceased In Church Bus Crash
- August 9, 2008: Death Toll Rises To 17 In Bus Crash
- August 8, 2008: Death Toll Rises To 14 In Charter Bus Crash
Copyright 2009 by Click2Houston.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.






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