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Photo courtesy Utah Highway PatrolCourtney Orton reporting
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has completed its on-scene investigation into the bus crash in San Juan County that killed nine people earlier this month. Today, the chief investigator held a teleconference to discuss the latest findings.
Many questions won't be answered until the final report comes out in a couple of weeks, but investigators from the NTSB released preliminary results today that indicate the Arrow Stage Lines bus that crashed and killed nine near Mexican Hat was in proper working order. They also learned, by reviewing company records, that the motor carrier had a satisfactory safety rating as of January 2006.
Investigators have not determined if speed was a factor, but they do know the bus hit a guardrail before rolling down the embankment, making one full revolution before coming to a rest on its wheels. The roof was sheared off, and 50 of the 52 occupants were ejected from the bus.
A video record from an on-board camera is still being investigated. "We were able to obtain information out of that particular device. That information and data has been downloaded. That information is currently being downloaded and reviewed by our recorder staff back in Washington," explained Peter Kotowski, investigator-in-charge at the NTSB.
Investigators have interviewed the 71-year-old driver, Welland Lotan. They are also looking at his cell phone records to determine if he was using his cell phone at the time of the crash.
