No Criminal Charges For Driver In Times Square Tour Bus Crash
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The driver of the tour bus involved in a crash in Times Square this past summer will not face criminal charges.
The Gray Line double-decker tour bus he was driving crashed into a parked double-decker CitySights bus around 3:30 p.m. Aug. 5, jumping the curb and causing a lamp post and traffic signal to crash onto a crowd of people.
The crash happened near the TKTS discount Broadway ticket booth at 47th Street and Seventh Avenue, which was packed with people at the time.
The driver, William Dalambert, 58, claimed the brakes did not work. But Dalambert was initially charged with driving while ability impaired, and he was handcuffed, booked, and spent the night in a jail cell.
Soon afterward, he was suddenly released when initial tests showed there were no drugs or alcohol in his system.
Following a two-month investigation, authorities concluded that a mechanical failure was to blame for the accident.
The Manhattan District Attorney's office said the evidence did not support filing charges.
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