Megabus Driver Fired After Close Call Incident
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) --- Citing passenger safety as their top concern, Megabus has fired the driver who took passengers on a wild ride from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh on Monday.
Megabus says she violated Federal Law by not taking her prescribed medications.
Megabus admits 29 people may have died on Monday, which that risk to passengers is unacceptable.
An $850,000 mega-bus loaded with GPS, cameras and state-of-the-art technology, is all dedicated to one thing --- safety.
"This is huge. They're putting more money in safety than anything else these days," Megabus Safety Manager, Ken McGaughy says.
Megabus says that is why Monday's incident caused so much concern. According to passenger, the driver bringing 29 passengers from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh was out of control.
"People started yelling stop the bus. We had a tractor trailer on our right and another on our left. We were at a very high rate of speed," Megabus passenger Michael Dunne says.
Several passengers took over the bus. One passenger took the wheel while another grabbed the brake.
McGaughty also says it's safe to say that the passengers who took control of the bus, saved lives.
Megabus immediately took the driver off the road and investigated the incident.
Officials fired her late Monday afternoon after she broke a Federal Department of Transportation Law by failing to take required prescription medications.
"We had to relieve her of her duty based on the fact that she made that decision," McGaughty says. "It wasn't the right thing to do and we didn't think that person would be safe behind the wheel of a bus.
Regarding safety and technology, there's a 1-800 number on the back of the seats of each Megabus. If a passenger calls that number and describes an emergency, Megabus can actually shut that bus down from anywhere in the country.
No one on the trip from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh called that number on Monday.
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