Another lawsuit — this one on behalf of a woman who died — has been filed in a Mississippi bus crash that killed two Alabama women and injured dozens more.
The lawsuit alleges the driver was traveling “too fast for weather conditions” that day and lost control of the vehicle.
The bus was traveling from Huntsville to Tunica with it overturned on Interstate 269 in DeSoto County, Mississippi on Nov. 14. Sleet and snow were falling that day.
Betty Russell, a 76-year-old Huntsville woman, died in the crash. Her family is suing the bus company, Teague VIP Express, and driver Robin Vines.
The lawsuit accuses Vines of “overdriving the weather conditions at an excessive speed.” Teague operated the bus “with a driver that was untrained and incapable of operating the motor vehicle safely,” the lawsuit says.
The Mississippi Highway Patrol, which investigated the crash, hasn’t released to the public a crash report. AL.com is seeking the report through a public records request.
The lawsuit was filed Thursday in Circuit Court in Calhoun County, Alabama. Teague is based in Anniston. The lawsuit seeks payment to “fairly and adequately compensate” the victim for damages. It’s one of at least seven lawsuits filed as a result of the crash. An attorney for Teague couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
At the time of the crash Vines’ commercial driver license was suspended, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The federal records don’t list a reason for the suspension.
Before the crash, Teague had a “satisfactory” rating from the FMCSA.
However, the bus had a “known history of ‘out of service’ deficits,” the lawsuit says.
Federal records show the company was cited for 15 violations during 2017 reviews. Those violations were not considered “critical,” according to the FMCSA. The violations included an oil and/or grease leak, inoperative or defective turn signals, windshield wipers and lighting, failure to maintain driver records for the previous seven days of duty status, defective or missing axle parts, a cracked or broken wheel rim, and worn, welded or missing steering system components.
The following injured passengers are also suing Vines and Teague in Calhoun County:
- George and Hassie Nance
- Briana Henry
- Veronica Love, Minnie Allen, Hilda McComband Willie Corner
- Willa Mae Cooper
Also in Calhoun County court, Virginia McComb is suing Teague, Vines and the Majestic Star Casino. Her lawsuit added the casino, which also makes money on the transportation of visitors to its Mississippi location, court records state.
In Madison County court, Bobbie Clack is suing Teague, Vines and Majestic.
The crash happened after noon at Interstate 269 and Highway 78. The scene was just south of Collierville, Tennessee, which is a suburb of Memphis.
Cynthia Hardin, a 61-year-old Huntsville woman, also died in the crash.