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Something to consider-Fires in paratransit buses
This certainly got my attention. Unable to exit the vehicle on their own. One dead. Something to keep in mind, for sure.
ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) - A fast-moving fire swept through a
paratransit minibus in east Allentown on Tuesday afternoon, killing
an unidentified disabled man and forcing the evacuation of two
other passengers, authorities said.
The fire started around 4:05 p.m., apparently in the engine
compartment, before spreading through the rest of the vehicle, said
Ronald Manescu, the assistant chief of the Allentown Police
Department.
The blue-and-white minibus is run by the Valley Association for
Specialized Transportation to provide paratransit services for
people with disabilities and the elderly in the Lehigh Valley.
The driver pulled over after noticing smoke coming from the air
conditioning vents, Manescu said. He discovered flames under the
hood and went in search of a fire extinguisher. By the time he
returned, police said, the minibus was engulfed by fire.
At the nearby J.H. Bennett Toyota dealership, sales manager
Robert Beers said one of the dealership's customers raced over to
the burning van and helped remove the other two passengers.
"There was so much black smoke and flames, I don't think I
could get within ten feet of it," Beers said.
The identity of the man who died was not immediately released.
The names and conditions of the other two passengers were not
known, police said. One refused medical treatment and the second
was taken to St. Luke's Hospital to be treated for smoke
inhalation. A St. Luke's spokeswoman declined to comment.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) - A fast-moving fire swept through a
paratransit minibus in east Allentown on Tuesday afternoon, killing
an unidentified disabled man and forcing the evacuation of two
other passengers, authorities said.
The fire started around 4:05 p.m., apparently in the engine
compartment, before spreading through the rest of the vehicle, said
Ronald Manescu, the assistant chief of the Allentown Police
Department.
The blue-and-white minibus is run by the Valley Association for
Specialized Transportation to provide paratransit services for
people with disabilities and the elderly in the Lehigh Valley.
The driver pulled over after noticing smoke coming from the air
conditioning vents, Manescu said. He discovered flames under the
hood and went in search of a fire extinguisher. By the time he
returned, police said, the minibus was engulfed by fire.
At the nearby J.H. Bennett Toyota dealership, sales manager
Robert Beers said one of the dealership's customers raced over to
the burning van and helped remove the other two passengers.
"There was so much black smoke and flames, I don't think I
could get within ten feet of it," Beers said.
The identity of the man who died was not immediately released.
The names and conditions of the other two passengers were not
known, police said. One refused medical treatment and the second
was taken to St. Luke's Hospital to be treated for smoke
inhalation. A St. Luke's spokeswoman declined to comment.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Hopefully what was wrong will be corrected. Silver Springs was the wake up call for the passenger rail safety. Hopefully this will be the one for the bus industry.
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