US: Bus firm was cited for fatigued driving

The driver, Ophadell Williams, 40, of Brooklyn, survived the 5:30 a.m. Saturday crash on the border between the Bronx and Westchester County with a fractured hip and other non-life-threatening injuries. He told investigators he tried to swerve from a tractor-trailer and lost control.

The bus was knocked onto its side after hitting a guard rail and a steel stanchion. The post cut through the bus, tearing off the top.

Police said other drivers indicated the bus may have been speeding.

There were 31 passengers on the trip, one of several daily excursions the company runs between New York’s Chinatown and the Mohegan Sun casino in Connecticut.

State police Maj. Michael Kopy wouldn’t discuss Williams’ driving record or witness statements. He said investigators had located what was thought to be the tractor-trailer and were checking it for evidence of a crash and interviewing the driver.