Investigators consider driver error's role in bus crash

As the investigation into the bus crash that killed nine people near Mexican Hat, San Juan County, continued on Wednesday, one of the biggest outstanding questions was how much of a role driver error played in the accident.

An Arrow Stage Lines tour bus with a driver and 51 passengers returning to Phoenix Sunday night following a weekend ski trip to Telluride, Colo., missed a sharp turn on U.S. 163 and rolled several times down a ravine. Nine people, ranging in age from 12 to 67, were killed, and about two dozen more were injured.

The National Transportation Safety Board arrived in Utah Tuesday to assist the Utah Highway Patrol with investigating the crash. UHP Sgt. Cameron Roden said Wednesday the bus wreckage had been removed from the crash scene and taken to an undisclosed location for further tests as part of the investigation.

Although the bus was only on the road because an avalanche in Telluride forced it to take a detour, the UHP said weather did not appear to be a factor in the accident. Speed and driver error were being looked at as possible causes, Roden said.

Several survivors from the accident have commented to reporters that they also did not believe weather was a factor. An e-mail sent to the Deseret Morning News from a person claiming to have survived the crash said it was due to driver negligence, and that the bus was going too fast for conditions.

Joe Luke Jr., 39, of Modesto, Calif., was another survivor of the bus crash. He said the road seemed narrow and unfamiliar to everyone on board. But he, too, did not believe weather played a role in the accident.

Luke remained Wednesday at Allen Memorial Hospital in Moab, where he is recovering from a deep facial cut stretching between his eyes to his nose that required more than 20 stitches. Luke also suffered broken ribs, a broken nose, ligament damage to his shoulders — "I can't raise my arms above my shoulders" — and other cuts and bruises.

Overall, however, he said he was "doing better" and thought he might be released from the hospital this weekend.

While Luke feels blessed that he's alive, his heart is heavy thinking about friends that died in the accident, including the person who was sitting in the seat next to him when the bus rolled.

"I thank the Lord for blessing me and saving me, and thank the Lord for saving all the rest of those people. My heart is heavy, and I'm sad for those who perished. But I know they're in a better place, and that gives me peace," he said. "The only reason why I'm able to cope is I believe they are doing better."