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1986 Starline Tour Bus disaster
California

This location along Highway 395 south of Walker, California marks the site of one of the deadliest bus crashes in American history, resulting in the deaths of 21 individuals.  A tour bus carrying mainly elderly folks was returning homewards to Southern California from a gambling trip in the Reno/Carson City, Nevada area when the driver, Ernst Klimeck, took this s-curve section of the highway at 66mph when posted signs recommended 40mph.  The bus lost control around the corners, went into the opposite lane & attempting to avoid oncoming traffic, had swerved off the road before tumbling through the fence (now guard rail) over the embankment & landing on its side in the Walker River which was swollen w/ meltwater at the time.  Some of the perished individuals would be found miles downstream.  The bus driver, who had previous violations on his driving record, amazingly served only a four-year sentence in a California state prison, something unheard of today.  While the corners are now further adorned w/ many arrows & chevrons, there is not any memorial at the site & the indicent is largely forgotten today.  From an online article:

 

“About 10:10 a.m. Pacific daylight time on May 30, 1986, a southbound intercity charter bus operated by Starline Sightseeing Tours, Inc. went out of control while negotiating an S-curve on U.S. Route 395, about 11 miles south of Walker, California. The two-way, two-lane, mountainous roadway was clear and dry. The bus initially crossed the center line to the left and then veered back across the roadway, onto the right shoulder. The bus then swerved left and right again, and its rear struck a rock retaining fence on the right shoulder. Continuing forward, the bus crossed into the northbound lane, overturned and slid on its left side, rolled over onto its roof, and came to rest upright in the West Walker River. As a result of the accident, 21 passengers died and 19 passengers and the driver were injured.

 

“The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the failure of the charter busdriver to comply with highway speed limits and advisory speed. signs and to reduce the bus speed sufficiently to negotiate safely the “S” curve on U.S. Route 395. Contributing to the accident was the inadequate screening and supervision of the busdriver by the motor carrier.

 

From: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/1986-may-30-starline-tour-bus-crash-goes-into-west-walker-river-walker-ca-21/

Copyright: William L
Type: Spherical
Resolution: 20756x10378
Taken: 24/04/2022
Uploaded: 04/05/2022
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Tags: california; highway 395; accident; traffic; bus crash; deaths; west; walker river; starline; tour bus; 1986; sierra nevada; canyon; s-curve; devils gate; pass; tragedy; crime; vehicular homicide; disaster; crime scene
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