Canadian Audit Finds Violations in Bus Company Involved in Oregon Crash

A March 11, 2013 audit conducted by the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure cited numerous safety violations committed by the bus company involved in last year's fatal bus accident in Pendleton, Oregon.
The accident, which occurred on December 30, 2012, killed nine people and injured 39 others on the bus. In the subsequent investigation, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) found that Mi Joo Tour & Travel driver Haeng Kyu Hwang was in violation of the federal hours of service limits, which allow bus drivers to be on the road no more than 70 hours in eight days. Hwang had worked 92 hours over eight days leading into the accident. He was also found to be driving too fast for the icy road conditions that December day.

Mi Joo Travel & Tour, which already had its commercial license revoked by the U.S. DOT, was found to be in violation of many safety issues, according to the Canadian audit. Most notably, Mi Joo failed to log driver time on the road, failed to maintain complete trip instruction reports, failed to note vehicle defects on trip inspection reports, failed to develop an adequate safety plan and vehicle maintenance plan and failed to keep maintenance records.

According to Oregon Live, the Canadian audit was released to the media under a public records request.

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