By Associated Press
Washington – Federal transportation officials are recommending that bus drivers take new steps to check tire pressure following a deadly bus crash near Sherman last year. An investigation has determined that a tire puncture, not a retreaded tire, caused the crash that killed 17 people.
The finding was presented at a National Transportation Safety Board meeting Tuesday in Washington. The accident happened in August 2008 when a charter bus carrying 55 passengers from Houston plunged over a highway bridge.
A retreaded tire on the vehicle's right front axle is said to have failed. Federal regulations prohibit retreads from being affixed to the front of buses. However, the NTSB determined that the retreading itself didn't cause the tire failure.