Report: Bus Driver On Phone, Used Illegal Drugs Before Fatal Crash
Last updated Friday, January 4, 2008 7:13 PM CST in News
By Jon Gambrell
The Associated Press
LITTLE ROCK — The driver who crashed a passenger bus and killed four people had a cellular phone to his ear and illegal drugs in his possession when he lost control of the vehicle, according to a state police investigative report.
Felix Badillo Tapia, 28, told troopers in a written statement he got something caught in his throat after taking a sip of soda and “just saw a black dot” before waking up on the floor after the crash along Interstate 40 near Forrest City in east Arkansas. But the police report shows other passengers on the Tornado Bus Co. trip from Chicago to Dallas say Tapia spoke constantly on the phone and did not have a required relief driver with him.
Tapia faces four negligent homicide charges from the November crash. If convicted, Tapia could face up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine for each count.
On Nov. 25, the Tornado bus crossed the interstate median, colliding with a pickup and a tractor-trailer. Three people on the bus, as well as the driver of the pickup, were killed. More than 20 others suffered injuries.
The report lists finding a drug called “Iprazil” in Tapia’s possession. Agents with the Drug Enforcement Agency could not immediately identify the drug Friday, but Prosecutor Fletcher Long said Tapia tested positive for amphetamines after the crash. State police spokesman Bill Sadler referred questions about the drug to the Arkansas Highway Police.
“We found it in his (Tapia’s) possession when we were trying to find paperwork and all that stuff,” said Arkansas Highway Police Capt. Paul Claunch. “We listed it on the driver-vehicle inspection report based on what state police told us as being in possession of a controlled substance.”
Aside from illegal drugs, the report lists a number of other problems highway police found with the bus. Investigators say someone falsified reports in the bus’ log book, listing incomplete mileage and hours, as well as a relief driver that wasn’t on board. During an interview with troopers, Tapia said he was supposed to pick up a relief driver in Earle when he stopped for gas, but no one was there.
A transcript of the interview says troopers showed Tapia his log book and asked about the relief driver. Troopers say Tapia put down the name of a friend “because he knew him.” When asked if the company told him to write down a fake name, Tapia acted like he did not know what the investigator was saying.
At the beginning of the interview, investigators say lawyers representing Tornado and Tapia said the driver would need a translator because he didn’t speak English. When told it was illegal for a commercial bus driver not to speak and read English sufficiently, the report shows company officials and Tapia “immediately” said he could do both.
Officers also reported finding no proof of insurance or registration in the bus after the crash.
Investigators say Tapia told them he had worked for Tornado for about seven years, though he was previously fired then rehired. Texas police records show he received a series of traffic citations in the past six years, including speeding tickets and driving a commercial vehicle with defective brakes.
Prosecutors say Tapia remains free after posting $50,000 bond Thursday. A number registered to Tapia in Brownsville, Texas, went unanswered Friday afternoon. His attorney, Tonya Alexander, could not be reached.
Tornado Bus, based in Dallas, caters primarily to Hispanic passengers, advertising its routes to Mexico. Last month, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration ordered the bus company to cease operations because it is an “imminent hazard to public safety.” The carrier has been the target of four reviews since 2001.
Web Watch:
Tornado Bus Co.: http://tornadobus.com/
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