SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane Transit Authority says it’s investigating “multiple areas” that may have led to a double-decker bus crashing into a railroad viaduct January 18, including the driver’s experience and training, and “potential software-related navigation issues.”
STA says the 13’6” bus that collided with the twelve-foot overpass on Cedar Street between First and Second Avenues was off-route. STA revealed Monday in a press release the driver was trained and authorized to operate double-decker buses. They also had experience on Routes 66 and 6, the Cheney-Spokane University District route the bus was supposed to be following when it crashed.
STA also acknowledged reports that issues with the bus navigation system may have played into the crash, saying the agency is coordinating with the software vendor to “determine the origin and scope of any software-related issues.”…