Gary. Lake County-A Megabus full of passengers was placed out of service today when a trooper stopped the bus for speeding and leaning to the right.
Indiana State Police Sergeant Lee Wright was patrolling I-80/94 (Borman Expressway) at approximately 10:20 a.m., this New Year’s Eve morning, when he clocked a Megabus east bound at Grant Street at 67 miles per hour in a well posted 55 miles per hour speed zone. Wright also saw that the bus was leaning to the far right. The bus, driven by Damaris Hussain (female), 47 of Chicago, Illinois, stated she was aware the coach was leaning to one side.
The bus has 67 passengers going from Chicago, Illinois to Atlanta, Georgia. The coach was escorted to a truck stop on Grant Street for the safety, comfort, and convenience of the passengers. Indiana State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division Inspectors Ron Douglas and Wanda Clay placed the bus out of service for suspension failure, defected bus emergency exit, and unsafe operations. There are three airbags on each side of the rear two axles; all three right side air bags were deflated. Once the airbags are removed or deflated the axle will not offer any support to the bus. They also found that the emergency exit door in the front was defective; the driver had to physically close the door by hand. Clay and Douglas also noted various other violations: from the driver’s pre-trip inspection of the bus to an air leak in the rear brakes. The bus is out of service until repairs are made.
A replacement bus arrived at the truck stop from Chicago at 12:25p.m., when all passengers resumed their trip.
Hussain was ticketed for speeding and suspension failure.
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Picture is of the Megabus placed out of service
