Worn Tires a Factor In California Bus Crash, Investigation Shows

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Excess speed and worn tires contributed to the crash of a bus on a rain-slick Southern California highway two years ago that killed three people and injured 18, according to a report released this week by the National Transportation Safety Board.

The bus was on a run from Los Angeles to San Diego County when it went off Interstate 15 on a slight curve and rolled down an embankment on Feb. 22, 2020/

Investigators determined the tread depths on two of the inside rear tires were lower than the minimum allowed by law, which “adversely affected the stability of the bus and contributed to the loss of control,” the NTSB found.

The bus operated by Executive Lines Inc. was traveling at about 75 mph, which investigators said was too fast for the wet roadway.

“Piecing together data downloaded from the bus, tire marks on the road and interviews with the driver, investigators concluded that the driver took two critical actions – sustained braking and steering inputs inconsistent with what would be needed to keep the bus on the road – that contributed to the loss of control,” the NTSB said in a statement.

A phone message seeking comment from Executive Lines in the Los Angeles suburb of El Monte was not immediately returned.