Megabus Crash in Illinois Claims a Life

 Posted on August 08, 2012 in Car Accidents

Thursday, August 2^nd was a difficult day for nearly 70 passengers on a Megabus coach bus.  On a ride between Chicago and St. Louis, the double-decker bus hit a highway overpass support beam 55 miles south.  Investigators were initially confused as to how the bus came to hit the concrete pillar near Lichtfield, Illinois around 1:20 pm.

"We've had no reports of erratic driving or anything along those lines," said Illinois State Police Lt. Louis Kink. "From our witness statements, most of its leaning toward the tire malfunction."  The bus company endorsed the suppositions of the authorities.  The bus itself had been manufactured within the year as well as passing a full preventative maintenance test less than a week prior to the accident.

A total of thirty ambulances, seven fire departments and five helicopters were present at the scene of the accident.  The front of the bus itself was so destroyed by the accident that rescuers had to use ladders to save people from the wreckage.  47 people in all were taken to hospitals for varying degrees of injuries.  Some people were airlifted to hospitals in Springfield and St. Louis, including the driver of the bus who immediately went into surgery.

The crash ended up killing at least one passenger. Aditi R. Avhad was a graduate student at the University of Missouri where she was studying healthcare administration.  She was travelling with her parents who flew into O’Hare airport in Chicago and were going to visit their daughter’s school in Columbus, OH.

Investigations into the cause of the accident are still on-going but if there is any fault of the driver or the Megabus Company, it is important for those involved in the crash to contact legal representation as soon as possible.  Authorities will not have a definitive idea of what happened for about two weeks after the accident.  Anyone affected by any car accident must use all the time they can to develop a strong case.  Don’t waste any time, please contact a dedicated personal injury lawyer in Chicago today.