Driver of sports bus cites brake failure - investigation will take months

Photo by Barbara Accetturo

The driver of the King's High School sports bus that crashed Saturday night cited brake failure as the cause of the bus accident.

According to the Washington State Patrol, which is investigating the accident, there were no other vehicles involved. The bus was exiting I-5 to westbound SR 104 by the Nile Golf Course (244th SW in Mountlake Terrace and NE 205th in Shoreline on the other side of the street).

The WSP report states that "Driver applied brakes and they didn't work. The bus drifted off roadway into ditch, came back onto roadway, hit the curb and rolled onto its side."

Passengers and responders at the scene
Photo by Barbara Accetturo

The 53 year old driver was among the ten people transported to Northwest Hospital.

The vehicle was a 1999 Bluebird school bus. It was impounded by Hansen's Towing.

Trooper Mark Francis, WSP District 7 PIO, said that "The results of the investigation won't be released for months due to the thoroughness of these types of investigations."