NTSB: Speed, road conditions played big role in fatal Mt. Pleasant turnpike crash

The driver of a tour bus involved in a deadly 2020 Pennsylvania Turnpike crash likely was traveling at unsafe speeds on a wet road, causing him to lose control of the vehicle, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

The NTSB’s unanimous adoption of the drafted probable cause came more than two years after five people were killed and 50 were injured during the early morning crash Jan. 5, 2020, in Mt. Pleasant Township. It involved a 59-passenger bus belonging to the former Z&D tours of Rockaway, N.J., three tractor-trailers and a car.

Board members deliberated for more than five hours Tuesday, ultimately reinstating seven safety recommendations to various government entities and issuing 11 new recommendations focused on commercial vehicle speed on wet roads, commercial vehicle collision avoidance and mitigation systems and onboard video recorder systems.

Officials have been investigating since the bus crashed into an embankment near mile marker 86, causing what officials described as a chain-reaction crash.

During the investigation, officials determined that bus driver Shuang Qing Feng, 58, of Flushing, N.Y., was driving west on a downhill curve at 3:30 a.m. in light snow.

NTSB investigator Robert Squire said the bus swerved toward the middle of the westbound lanes before hitting a steep embankment to the right of the roadway. The bus continued to rotate and landed on its right side. It then slid across the highway, blocking both travel lanes with the underside facing oncoming traffic.

According to Squire, the bus entered the curve, which has a posted recommended speed of 55 mph, at 77 mph.

As the driver navigated the curve, he braked for about seven seconds, slowing down to 70 mph. The brakes were released after the bus passed through the apex of the curve. Three seconds later, changes in vehicle speed were recorded that were not necessarily associated with braking. Data shows the engine brake also was applied at the time of the crash.

“Staff found that the motor coach was traveling too fast on a wet roadway while in a descending curve,” investigator Kenneth Bragg said. “The excessive speed contributed to the loss of control, which initiated the crash. Simulations replicate that the driver made steering inputs beyond what was needed to navigate the curve, likely leading to loss of stability.”

In addition, use of the engine brake on a wet roadway “would have further increased the risk that the tires would lose traction and cause the driver to lose control,” Bragg said.

A FedEx tractor-trailer traveling at 53 mph then approached the overturned motor coach. The driver began reducing the truck’s speed within three-tenths of a second of detecting the overturned bus, officials said. The FedEx truck had slowed to about 21 mph when it crashed into the bus.

The crash led to two bus passengers, Eileen Zelis Aria, 35, of Bronx, N.Y., and Jaremy Vazquez, 9, of Brooklyn, N.Y., being ejected. They were killed.

The FedEx driver was uninjured, but the co-driver suffered minor injuries.

A UPS tractor-trailer based in Harrisburg then traveled through the curve at 71 mph. As the driver came upon the crash, he braked and swerved to the right, hitting the rear of the FedEx tractor-trailer. The crash caused the bus to rotate further clockwise and resulted in the FedEx trailer separating from the tractor.

The UPS truck “sustained catastrophic damage,” Squire said. The last recorded speed for the UPS truck was 56 mph.

Bragg noted that although the UPS driver applied the brakes and swerved to the right, “it was insufficient to reduce speed and avoid a collision.”

The UPS truck was driven by Daniel Kepner, 53, of Lewistown, who was teamed with Dennis Kehler, 48, of Lebanon. They also died, along with the bus driver.

A Mercedes-Benz with two passengers then swerved to avoid the crash, sliding off the road next to the UPS truck. A second UPS truck traveling in the right lane at about 69 mph then sideswiped the Mercedes, pushing the car under the first UPS truck. The driver of the second UPS tractor-trailer and the people in the car were not hurt.

“We found that the FedEx driver’s decision to reduce speed on the wet roadway enabled him to maintain control and reduce the severity of the collision,” Bragg said. “Had UPS driver No. 1 been traveling at a slower speed before entering the curve, they would have had a better opportunity to avoid or reduce the severity of the crash.”

The second UPS driver was traveling three to five seconds behind the first UPS tractor-trailer, giving him sufficient time to respond to the incident, Bragg added.

Commercial vehicle speed

Several recommendations were adopted by NTSB board members regarding speed related to the 85th percentile, which is used to determine speed limits, signage and cameras.

The first was made to the Federal Highway Administration to evaluate the applicability of the 85th percentile, which is defined as the speed at which 85% of vehicle traffic is traveling.

“Research has shown that the 85th percentile speed is an outdated form of obtaining speed study results that has been in use since the 1940s and has shown undesirable results such as driving faster than the posted speed,” said NTSB engineer Dan Walsh.

The second recommendation was to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to implement the use of variable speed limit signs to adjust statutory speeds based on real-time information regarding weather and road conditions. The highway has several posted speed limit signs, including advisory signs near the curves with flashing beacons.

“It helps to slow vehicles traveling at speeds that are higher than appropriate for conditions such as wet weather by dynamically resetting the regulatory speed limit,” Walsh said. “The speeds are set in response to changing roadway conditions, and, because they are regulatory rather than advisory speeds, the speed limit is enforceable.”

The final recommendation was to the state to seek authority to allow speed safety cameras to be used along the roadway outside construction zones. Walsh noted that the use of speed safety cameras in active work zones has lowered speeds by 5 to 8 mph.

Commercial vehicle collision avoidance and mitigation

Several recommendations regarding collision avoidance and mitigation measures also were adopted.

The first recommendation was to the U.S. Department of Transportation to implement a plan for nationwide connected vehicle technology deployment to resolve issues related to interference from unlicensed devices and defines communication protocols to be used in future connected vehicle deployment.

Officials recommended that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration add collision avoidance systems, including automatic emergency braking, to vehicles. In addition, several entities are now recommended to encourage members to report faults concerning advanced safety features.

“Staff found that maintaining the full functionality of installed collision avoidance systems is critical to vehicle safety should a situation occur when the collision avoidance system is necessary,” said NTSB Investigator Shawn Currie. “Staff also found that if drivers report defects or faults in collision avoidance systems … repairs can be made.”

Onboard video event recorder systems

Finally, NTSB staffers made several recommendations regarding onboard video systems that face the outside of commercial vehicles as well as the drivers.

The first recommendation to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration would require that all buses and trucks over 10,000 pounds be equipped with onboard video event recorders that include data related to time, GPS location, acceleration data, visibility of the driver’s face and each occupant seating location.

In addition, a recommendation to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration suggests they provide guidance to motor carriers to proactively use the onboard video information to aid in driver training and ensure driver compliance with regulatory rules.

The draft of the final report was unanimously approved by board members. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said it will be available on the website in a few weeks.