NEW YORK — The driver of a tour bus that crashed on a New York highway told police that he took a nap in the vehicle just hours before Saturday's accident that killed 15 people, NBC New York reported Monday.
Bus driver Ophadell Williams, 40, arrived at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Conn. around
Williams then slept in a casino parking lot until he was called back to pick up a group for a trip to New York at 3 a.m. on Saturday, investigators said.
The bus crashed on I-95 in the Bronx at around 5:30 a.m., skidding into a highway sign post which sheared the bus from front to back along the window line.
Distracted or tired?
NBC New York reported that some passengers said the bus seemed to be drifting in and out of lanes, hitting rumble strips on the side of the highway. Some told police they feared the driver was tired or distracted.
According to reports, Williams passed a breath test at the scene.
Officials stress operator error is just one theory they are investigating based on passenger statements, NBC New York said.
A 15th victim died at around 7:30 a.m. Monday, police said. The 70-year-old man's name and the names of 14 others haven't been released.
The National Transportation Safety Board will analyze footage from the camera that faced passengers and will also examine an engine control module that may indicate how fast the bus was going.
Passengers and witnesses have told investigators that the driver's account of getting clipped by a tractor-trailer didn't match up to what they felt and saw before Saturday's crash.
A preliminary inspection of the truck revealed no evidence of any collision or contact between the bus or the truck, NBC New York reported.
Video: Passengers: Driver drifted before fatal N.Y. crash (on this page) According to the NTSB, the bus, which was carrying 31 passengers to Manhattan's Chinatown, slid for 480 feet before it came to a stop. Follow us on Twitter Get the latest updates on this story and others from @breakingnews. Text NEWS to 67622 to receive mobile alerts State police said the bus may have been speeding faster than the 55 mph limit. 'He feels upset'The driver's wife, Holly, told the New York Daily News that Williams "feels like he's at fault." "But I told him it's not his fault — it's an accident. He feels upset that a lot of people died on his bus." World Wide Travel, the tour bus company, said in a statement that the company will cooperate with the investigation. The Associated Press, msnbc.com staff and NBC News' Jonathan Dienst and Shimon Prokupecz contributed to this report.
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