Bus hits Miami airport overpass, 2 dead

A bus is lodged into an overpass at the Miami International Airport on Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012. The vehicle was carrying more than 30 people when it crashed into the structure. / AP Photo/Suzette Laboy

Last Updated 9:35 p.m. ET

MIAMI A charter bus carrying 32 members of a church group hit a concrete overpass at Miami International Airport after the driver got lost Saturday, killing two elderly people on board and leaving three others critically injured, officials said.

The large, white bus was too tall for the 8-foot-6-inch entrance to the arrivals area, said airport spokesman Greg Chin. Buses are supposed to go through the departures area, which has a higher ceiling, he said.

Chin said passengers told him they were part of a group of Jehovah's Witnesses headed to West Palm Beach. Police said in a news release that the group had chartered the bus to take them to a church convention there.

The group was made up of congregation members of Sweetwater's Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, said Sweetwater Mayor Manny MaroIno.

"This is a tragic accident that has affected many families, as well as, our Sweewater family," MaroIno said in a press release. "I am pursuing all avenues to get in touch with the appropriate persons to officially extend our help to the congregation and those who were hurt."

Emergency personnel attend to injured passengers after a bus accident at Miami International Airport on Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012 in Miami. Officials say a bus has hit an overpass, killing at least one person and injuring more than two-dozen people on board.

/ AP Photo/El Nuevo Herald, Roberto Koltun

A phone number listed for the center in Sweetwater went unanswered.

At the airport, two large signs warn drivers of large vehicles not to pass beneath the concrete overpass. One attached to the top of the concrete barrier reads: "High Vehicle STOP Turn Left." The other, placed to the left of the driveway and several feet in front of the barrier, says all vehicles higher than the 8-foot-6 threshold must turn left.

Three people were at hospitals in critical condition. The other 27 surviving passengers were hurt, but their injuries were less extensive, authorities said.

One man died at the scene; the second died later at a hospital.

Police identified the deceased as Serafin Castillo, 86, and Francisco Urana, 56, both of Miami.

Eight of the 14 patients taken to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital were in stable condition while two others were in critical, said hospital spokeswoman Lidia Amoretti. Three others were expected to be discharged later Saturday.

A majority of the injuries were facial due to the frontal impact, said Miami-Dade Police spokesman Det. Alvaro Zabaleta.

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[Pugiron]

Kill the driver, or better yet, kill a couple of his family members.

[JV1970]

You're insane! Killing them won't bring back the people who were lost and won't help their grieving families or the people who were injured!

[jeffinity]

This is tragic. Eleven years ago at the same place at the Miami Airport, I did this in an RV, destroying my roof-top air conditioner. Not as tragic. Yeh, I'm an idiot, too. While I was trapped under the I-beams, a delivery truck did the same thing. While removing my air conditioner to get out, I noticed parts and pieces of every kind of truck-roof part imaginable stuck in the I-beams. The airport workers helping me seemed to imply this type of thing happens all the time at Miami International.

It probably happens at that airport many, many times per week, if not daily. My family will always rag me about my mistake, and I feel so badly for the deaths, that I'm compelled to write.

What caused me to proceed forward in an oversize vehicle? Two things, (1) it appears that you are supposed to cautiously look for the place to turn left (stupid, I know, and even stupider in retrospect looking at the signs), and (2) special buses that are not as tall as normal buses continually zoom under the same overhang, unimpeded. It is very deceptive.

As others have commented, there is not the usual yellow PVC "test" overhang, and there is nothing stopping you otherwise, except signage.

Yes, I'm an idiot, and my bad move did not lead to this horrible tragedy. But check the records and see how often this happens at this airport, and how preventable this was.

I have no idea the condition or experience of the bus driver, but in my opinion, there is also some culpability on the part of the airport design.

[soshaljustice]

Sure would be nice if the Federal Government would institute a Federal Mandate to the states, for the protection of the federal taxpayers and federal voters, the states MUST/SHALL require all bus or van vehicles able to transport multiple passengers for business purposes and having a business license must/shall have all drivers obtain CDL licensure!!! These and many other accidents and other incidents of liability would come to a halt. Yes it would increase the costs to business in hiring people with better skills because of the labor costs yet the benefits to national interests are multiple in lowering the overall costs associated with these foolish incidents and accidents in reduction and costs associated with the losses of all of these people now harmed and their families that are forced to deal with the losses of family members and the injuries. Those losses are far greater than those experienced by small business when requiring better trained cdl employees-especially those associated with nationwide tours and those dealing with the transportation of people with disabilities. Come on legislators-get to work!!!

[wtcmedic911]

There is such a law and had been for many years. We have cdl, medical cards and random urine. This is the law for any COMMERICAL transporter.

[rachel83706]

I think even if the driver was not familiar with the area, he should have seen all the (literal) warning signs! It seems almost cartoonish. "High Vehicle STOP Turn Left." The other, placed to the left of the driveway several feet in front of the barrier, says all vehicles higher than the 8-foot-6 threshold must turn left." where is the great big sign that says "We warned you!!" ... This isn't funny. It is very serious and the driver is definitely at fault. There is nothing that can be spinned that would make the driver not at fault when there are two large warning signs.

[geoh777]

A simple low-technology laser beam device (like have been at store entrances for decades) to detect overheight vehicles and several large red, flashing STOP signs would be better than allowing the occasional overheight vehicle to crash into such an overpass.

[wtcmedic911]

Hate to say it wont work. so many cities have mainly truck stuck and some buses but mainly trucks. DOT hangs metal bars, chains etc so show people how low it is yet they still get stuck.
speaking, reading english and common sense would help

[kbbpll]

8'6" going into Arrivals? No yellow hanging warning barrier before concrete? This airport design is now criminally negligent.

[tlbitner]

I AGREE!

[Moatfrog]

post

[JerryMathers]

Good thing the lady on the stretcher has her own personal airbags!

[aliasentric]

There are still some decent human beings left in the world - guess you are not one of them.

[Moatfrog]

There is always a wise guy in every crowd.

[jjones1979]

thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families.