February 9, 2012
A 50-year-old bus driver for the North Carolina State University died of carbon monoxide poisoning on her bus. According to reports from WRAL News, the woman had made numerous complaints before passing away that she smelled fumes on the bus.
On December 21 of last year, two other drivers made complaints of smelling fumes on the same bus. Hours later, the 50-year-old woman pulled the bus over on the University’s Centennial Campus and called 911. She was taken to a local hospital where she died three days later form what coroners have determined was carbon monoxide poisoning.
The bus company, First Transit, confirmed that the vehicle was taken out of commission pending an investigation by the North Carolina Department of Labor.
This isn’t the only incident though. Last month, another driver and several of the bus’s passengers complained of smelling fumes while riding. Although the company’s maintenance department examined the bus, they found nothing wrong and the vehicle continues to run.
Another driver reported quitting the company in the months prior to the death of her colleague because she felt the managers were not properly addressing safety concerns after she made numerous complaints of the fumes and nothing was done.
The North Carolina toxic exposure attorneys with HensonFuerst often handle numerous cases where people have been hurt or killed by poisons in their environment. If dangerous toxins have caused you harm, we may be able to help.