On Monday, two buses collided in a major motor vehicle accident that killed three people and left many others injured. Video taken at the intersection of Main Street and Northern Boulevard in Flushing, Queens, shows a Dahlia Travel charter bus speeding through a red light at 58 miles an hour and crashing into the rear end of a New York City bus at around 6:15 a.m.
This was not the first accident involving Raymond Mong, the driver of the charter bus. In June of 2016, Mong ran a red light on College Point Boulevard, striking Laurence Torres. Mong told the police that he had the green light, and that Torres ran the red light. Torres said that he had the green light. Just a year earlier, Mong was convicted of driving under the influence, and fired by the MTA after he left the scene of a three-car accident on Interstate 95 in Connecticut. Mong received 18 months probation and a suspended sentence.
Despite his lengthy record, Mong landed a job for Dahlia as a charter bus driver. According to a spokesman for the New York State Department of Transportation, Dahlia failed to inform the state that Mong was driving its buses, in violation of state law. Although Mong’s probation had expired when he started working for Dahlia, the company’s decision to employ Mong raises serious questions and concerns about industry hiring practices.
According to United States Representative Grace Ming, a Democrat from Queens, there are currently “no standards for a driver or a company about how many infractions” are allowed before an employee’s commercial drivers license can be revoked.
Grandelli & Eskenasi represents those who are injured in motor vehicle and bus accidents in New York. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured, you can contact our office for a free consultation. Early contact with an attorney is often critical to the prosecution of these accident. This recent accident illustrates the importance of gathering evidence as early as possible. Video surveillance of the accident can resolve conflicting accounts given to the police.
