Fort Worth Bus Driver Cited After Colo. Accident

FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - A Fort Worth-based bus company is coming under the microscope after a weekend crash seriously injured an 11-year-old girl and sent dozens others to area hospitals.

Forty-six members of the Trinity United Methodist Church in Denton boarded a bus operated by Gotta-Go Express Saturday. The bus had trouble taking a turn that night, and crashed outside Gunnison, Colo.

CBSDFW.com found that the company has received a number of citations this year. However, owner Don Digger said the documents don't tell the whole story. Digger said the driver hit a patch of ice while driving about 20 miles per hour around the turn when he lost control. The driver, however, was cited for unsafe driving by state police.

"My heart sunk," Digger said. "The first thing I think of is, are there any injuries? Any fatalities?"

Digger started Gotta Go Express Trailways in 1984. He said in 26 years, the Colo. Crash is the first one he's had on that route. Though there's been accidents in the company's history, there's never been anything major. And certainly nothing like this weekend's crash, which sent dozens of passengers to area hospitals.

"Safety is No. 1 in our company," Digger said. "It always has been, it always will be. If you don't put that at the top of your priority list, you're not going to stay in business."

The Texas Department of Transportation has cited Gotta-Go Express more than a dozen times this year. The citations are for driver fatigue, vehicle maintenance and false reporting on driver logs. Digger said these are all minor citations.

And as such, the company maintains a satisfactory rating with the state. TxDOT said companies either have a satisfactory or unsatisfactory rating, and if companies address their violations immediately, most are able to maintain that "satisfactory" rating.

Now, Digger said he will focus on an investigation of the driver, 47-year-old Fred Kornegay, who was cited by Colo. Police for Careless Driving Causing Injury. State police maintain that if he was driving carefully, the crash would not have happened.

Church members were not available for comment, but the associate pastor has updated his congregation using the internet.

"We want to let you know that we are safe and stable," associate pastor Tom May said. "In fact, a lot of people are out there skiing today."

All of the injured are said to be in good condition Monday, despite two serious injuries and a myriad of moderate ones after the crash. They are expected to return from the ski trip with the same charter bus company later this week.

"We see God's grace all around us," May said. "It's amazing how God can make it all right."

Kornegay could not be reached for comment. Colorado police officials said there were no other accidents Saturday at the location where the bus crashed. A spokesman said the state has completed its investigation.