Palm Tran Bus Loses Two Tires on Interstate 95

A bus driver with the Palm Tran bus service was traveling northbound on Interstate 95 this past Thursday when a bizarre and terrifying incident occurred. According to a spokesperson for Palm Tran Public Transportation, it was around 7:15 in the morning when the incident occurred, close to where Interstate 95 crosses Woolbright Road in the city of Boynton Beach. Footage from the bus itself shows what happened in great detail: as the bus is driving down the right lane of I-95, one of the rear tires can be seen rolling across the road, away from the bus and towards the center median. The bus itself, clearly out of control, then careens towards the center median, crashing into the rear of a black pickup truck before slamming into the center divider.

A spokesperson for the Florida Highway Patrol, Sgt. Mark Wysocky, says that five vehicles were involved in the crash after two tires simply disconnected from the bus, leaving the driver in an impossible situation behind the wheel of a completely unnavigable vehicle driving at highway speeds. After the bus hit the center divider, a light pole at the struck area toppled down into the southbound lanes, hitting a passing car. Additionally, one of the tires from the bus jumped the center divider and struck another car.

Emergency response teams wound up transporting two individuals at the scene—the bus driver among them—to nearby hospitals. No passengers were using the bus at the time of the crash, a factor which likely prevented even more people from being rushed to emergency medical facilities.

At the time of this writing, the crash is still under investigation, however the initial report does suggest a possible lead as to the cause of the accident. It is believed that shortly before the incident described above, the bus in question had received routine maintenance at the hands of an unnamed third-party. It is believed that the group contracted to maintain this particular vehicle failed to properly torque the two rear tires in question on to the bus after performing whatever work was needed. As a result, when the bus began to accelerate on the highway the tires gradually worked their way loose from the bolts tentatively holding them in place.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.