On the heels of the September 11, 2010 Syracuse Megabus crash, which resulted in the wrongful death of Ashwani Mehta (34), Deanna Armstrong (18), Kevin Coffey (19) and Benjamin Okorie (35), as well as injury to dozens, a second double-decker Megabus was involved in an accident with a Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) vehicle in University City, a Philadelphia neighborhood.
According to Syracuse personal injury lawyer Michael A. Bottar, Esq., the second Megabus accident in as many weeks occurred at around 3:15 a.m., near the the 30th Street Station. Apparently, a cargo hatch on the Washington-bound M21 bus opened as the bus turned onto Market Street. The open hatch door then struck a SEPTA work truck. The door was torn from its hinges. Even though the bus was carrying approximately 60 passengers, no one was injured.
In the wake of the Syracuse crash, Dale Moser, president and chief operating officer of CoachUSA, stated that Megabus is “a safe company. We’re not a fly-by-night company.” According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Megabus’ safety record is “satisfactory.” Per the FMCSA database, Megabus had a total of four accidents involving two injuries and no fatalities in the 24 months before the September 11, 2010 Megabus road accident.
The Bottar Law, PLLC, legal team is handling several Megabus injury claims and will continue to keep the public current on the status of its investigation and relevant developments.