Driver’s History and School Oversight Under Scrutiny After Banetsu Expressway Bus Crash
A driver involved in a bus accident on the Banetsu Expressway admitted to police that he “couldn’t make the curve,” as investigators uncover a troubling pattern of previous accidents and administrative failures by the school involved.
The investigation into the crash has revealed alarming details regarding the driver’s recent history. Authorities discovered a vehicle with a crushed hood at the driver’s residence, and it has emerged that the driver had previously told an acquaintance, “I need to stop driving soon.” evidence suggests the driver may have been involved in multiple accidents within a span of a few months, raising serious questions about his fitness to operate a passenger vehicle.
The terror experienced by the passengers has come to light through students’ accounts of the crash. Witnesses described a scene of panic, with students screaming “Help!” inside the vehicle. Some students reported feeling an underlying sense of anxiety and instability while riding in the bus prior to the accident.
Beyond the driver’s conduct, the administrative handling of the transport is under fire. It was revealed that Hokuetsu High School did not possess a Transport Acceptance Certificate, a document that transport operators are legally obligated to provide to the client.
Adding to the complexity of the investigation are conflicting reports over rental car use. While one party claimed that rental cars had been utilized for the past four years, another party denied ever requesting the use of rental vehicles.
The discovery of the driver’s admission and personal vehicle damage underscores a potential lapse in safety screenings. The case highlights critical gaps in transportation safety and school oversight, as the lack of mandatory documentation and the driver’s unstable record converged in a single high-risk event.
