Lynx says mechanical issues didn’t cause fatal bus crash
The Lynx bus that stalled last month — prompting its driver to exit the vehicle, only to be hit and killed by another bus — was tested for battery trouble three days before the fatal accident and had a history of other maintenance issues, according to records.
However, Lynx officials on Thursday said they do not believe any mechanical failures led to the Nov. 16 accident.
The agency’s review deter- mined the driver, Prosper Nazaire, had shut off the bus while it was still in drive after another driver told him the rear lights were off. He then was unable to get it to start back up again — prompting him to walk around back to look at the engine, where the other bus struck him at more than 40 mph.
A report released by Lynx on Thursday included a transcript of radio conversations between Nazaire and a dispatcher. He said his bus “just
shut off” and he couldn’t get it to restart. “Oh, my God,” he told the dispatcher. “This bus been having problems for a while now.”
Before Nazaire started his shift that day, mechanics had to jump-start the bus because it wouldn’t manually start — something dispatchers didn’t tell Nazaire, the report said. He did not perform a precheck of the bus before getting on the road that day or he would have noticed the back lights were off, the report said.
Ismael Rivera, president of the Lynx bus drivers’ union, said that despite the company’s explanation, he still has unanswered questions about the bus, which had a history of mechanical issues. Rivera said he doesn’t think the bus should have been in operation and believes the battery played a role in the incident.
“The key question is, what did they find in that battery?” he said.
Lynx spokesman Matt Friedman said the battery was tested Nov. 13 after another driver said it was having power issues. Records show a mechanic worked on the bus for nearly an hour, but did not replace any parts.
“We are still wrapping up our preliminary investigation but believe the bus did not have a mechanical issue,” Friedman said.
Nazaire, 59, was driving on West Princeton Street near John Young Parkway around 5 a.m. on Nov. 16 when another driver told him his lights were off, which is what prompted him to turn the bus off and try to restart it, according to Johnson.
The other driver, Ronnie Bell, was taken to a hospital with minor injuries, police said. No passengers were on either bus, according to Orlando police. The crash remains under investigation.
Lynx on Tuesday released the maintenance history for both buses, which revealed the battery issue that had been reported on the bus Nazaire was driving, though the records did not indicate what happened to prompt the report.
It shows the bus was taken out of service about 10 times and had maintenance work completed nearly 20 times since September for issues such as the radio not working, broken air conditioning, check engine light and an apparent oil leak, records show.
Records also show the other bus involved in the accident had about $25,000 of engine work done in August.
Friedman said it is not unusual for buses of that age — both are about 10 years old — to have those issues. The bus was cleared to be in service the day of the accident, the records say.
Rivera said the death was a culmination of several issues inside Lynx such as not having enough mechanics and new buses. Mechanics are often rushed to complete jobs and the facility they work in is poorly designed, he said.
“We are putting a bandaid on buses and sending them out there,” Rivera said. “I can’t say if it would have made a difference [in this case] but it might have.”
He also said buses should have additional reflectors and more drivers should be outfitted with reflective vests. The area where the accident happened is dark, he said.
Johnson said the accident prompted Lynx to issue reflective vests to all its employees. He also said, while he believes Lynx could have more mechanics, he hasn’t seen any evidence they’ve been rushed.
“The bottom line is, we would never, ever put out a bus that’s not safe,” said Friedman.
Nazaire was hired at Lynx in July 2017. Since his death, Lynx buses have been displaying a message that says “in remembrance of Prosper Nazaire.” Lynx also posted Nazaire’s picture on its Facebook page.
“Always in our thoughts and prayers,” the message said. “Thank you for serving the Central Florida community.”
His family could not be reached for comment.
Bell resigned from Lynx earlier this week after more than 25 years with the company.
“He could never drive again,” Rivera said. “I’m sure that’s something he has to live with for the rest of his life.”