Thursday, 4:30 PM
No one hurt as Fung Wah bus crashes on Pike
(Essdras M. Suarez/Globe Staff)
The Fung Wah bus line has come under intense scrutiny from federal and state officials for a series of safety and other violations.
By Mac Daniel, Globe Staff
A Fung Wah bus carrying 35 passengers crashed into a guardrail at the Allston-Brighton tolls today on the westbound Massachusetts Turnpike. Though the bus had to be towed from the scene, no one was injured.
State Police Lieutenant Eric Anderson said the accident remained under investigation. He could not say if weather was a factor in the crash.
The passengers left the bus after the accident and were taken by another Fung Wah bus to Newton Corner, where they retrieved their luggage before proceeding to Boston, he said.
The bus line, which has come under intense scrutiny from federal and state officials for a series of safety and other violations, offers $15 one-way trips between Boston and New York, a route popular with college students and bargain hunters that started eight years ago.
In January, a set of rear wheels loosened on a Boston-bound Fung Wah bus and barely stayed on the coach after it had traveled nearly 200 miles at highway speeds on a trip from New York. No one was injured.
In September 2006, a Fung Wah coach rolled over while rounding an Interstate 290 ramp in Auburn, slightly injuring 34 passengers headed to Boston. State Police blamed excessive speed.
Last October, Fung Wah was fined $31,100 for violating federal safety regulations. The Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration said Fung Wah improperly hired drivers who couldn't speak English and who regularly exceeded speed limits.
