May 23--After a 13-month investigation, the California Highway Patrol announced Friday that it could not determine why a FedEx truck driver veered across Interstate 5 in Northern California last year and slammed into a charter bus carrying high school students from the Los Angeles area.
During a news conference in Hacienda Heights, CHP officials said they were unable to confirm indications the truck driver might have fallen asleep or suffered a debilitating medical problem before the fiery crash that killed 10 and injured 39.
They concluded that driver Tim Evans, 32, allowed his tractor-trailer to move across the southbound lanes of the highway in an unsafe manner, triggering the head-on collision on the northbound side. Both drivers were killed.
"It's uncommon for us not to determine a cause," said Chief Ruben Leal, commander of the CHP's northern division. "We looked at everything. This was a real difficult case."
CHP officials said they were hampered by heavy damage to the truck and the charter bus as well as conflicting witness statements that made it hard to determine exactly what happened.
From the evidence, they said the FedEx truck was mechanically sound, and Evans was well trained. He had the proper certifications for a commercial driver and had no accidents or traffic violations.
Investigators added that he appeared to be well-rested before the accident and in good health. Toxicology tests also revealed that he did not have alcohol or drugs in his system.
Victims and relatives of those killed said the CHP's findings brought some closure for them, but they remained concerned they will never know what really happened.
"It's good to know some of the answers, but we've haven't gotten all the answers," said Evelin Jimenez, whose brother Ismael was killed in the crash. "You could say this is closure," she added, holding back her tears, "but from what the families still feel, there can never be closure."
The crash occurred about 5:40 p.m. on April 10, 2014, when the FedEx truck pulling two 28-foot trailers drifted through the wide median of I-5 near Orland, where there was no barrier to prevent traffic from entering oncoming lanes.
After ripping through a row of oleander, the tractor-trailer continued into the northbound lanes where it struck the back of a Nissan sedan and the front of a Silverado Stages bus carrying 44 high school students from Los Angeles and other cities in the region.
The group, which had departed from Union Station in downtown Los Angeles, was on its way to Humboldt State University in Arcata for a weekend orientation program.
Both vehicles caught fire after impact, sending a plume of black, acrid smoke billowing above the Sacramento Valley. Five students were killed along with three adult chaperons--two of whom were engaged to each other.
Of the injured, 30 were treated at seven hospitals for burns, fractures and smoke inhalation.
Those who survived the collision described a harrowing effort to escape as flames quickly engulfed the coach in a massive red-orange fireball. In the confusion, some students used emergency exits while others smashed windows to get out.
The National Transportation Safety Board also has been looking into the crash, but the agency's investigation is not completed.
UPDATE
4:45 p.m.: This post has been updated to includes statements from highway patrol investigators.
