Safari Bus Rider Killed

I've always considered those safari buses to be UNSAFE.

And I hope the family sues the VIPD, because they're always trying to place dirt on victims. It's always the victims fault according to the VIPD. I never trust anything that they say.

VIPD should be punished for the false claims of intoxication. But I don't see the need to act any farther. There are plenty of unanswered questions that doesn't seem right. For one; how does anybody fall off without anybody else noticing? Especially her sister? Wouldn't she have yelled or screamed when she fell?

Nothing against the VIPD, or the victim and her family. I just get a little defensive, on any side, the moment somebody starts implying the need for more rules/laws after a single accident. The woman was an adult. She should take some responsibility for her own safety.

I'd be willing to bet there was a pothole involved. We know how bad our roads are. So what if she was intoxicated: SHE WAS NOT DRIVING!

I doubt a pothole in St John. Perhaps she passed out as to why she would fall out without screaming?

why would the family sue the VIPD?

Perhaps one should investigate if there was a medical health care event that caused her to fall out? Seems the all the pieces haven't been put together yet,

why would the family sue the VIPD?

slander

why would the family sue the VIPD?

slander

It would be for Defamation (false written statement). Slander is a verbal statement.:D

why would the family sue the VIPD?

slander

It would be for Defamation (false written statement). Slander is a verbal statement.:D

fine....you get my point slander/defamation

and in this case it would be both 😀 http://www.vipd.gov.vi/Public_Interest/Press_Releases/Show_Press_Release/11-07-06/Woman_Dies_After_Falling_From_Moving_Safari_Bus.aspx

No one should lose their life from riding one of these.

Death traps waiting to happen. The gov't should institute strict regulations for safety so someone isn't killed again.

agree, a tailgate would do the job.

so would sitting away from the end of the bus with no tailgate, just saying. I'm thinking the rider's choices/abilities at the time were majorly contrubutory to her falling out.

I didn't think we knew or know what exactly did happen.

so would sitting away from the end of the bus with no tailgate, just saying. I'm thinking the rider's choices/abilities at the time were majorly contrubutory to her falling out.

Agree.

Take some personal responsibility. If you feel unsafe riding them, then don't ride them. If tailgates are truly the answer, safaris can implement them themselves and get all the added business. But something tells me adding tailgates will likely reduce safari passengers.

I didn't think we knew or know what exactly did happen.

It's true. We don't. And the last thing we want is to jump the gun asking the government to "protect us."

Even if a safari bus safety law made sense, the VI legislature would water it down to being pointless. Look what they did with the "no riders in the back of pick-up trucks" law. http://stcroixsource.com/content/news/local-news/2009/06/04/senator-says-pickup-bill-too-watered-down

I think we'd all be better off if "running with scissors" was a required skill, and started in kindergarden. There is only so much you can pad the corners of the world until you reach the point of diminishing returns (people saved from themselves).

onthespot,
a young women fell to her death, she is not the only one who has fallen out of a safari bus. It's kind of silly to object to a little safety feature like a tailgate.

My condolences goes out to the family. The family is saying it was a "freak accident".

Many bus (school/commuter/tour/) accidents up in the states where lives have been lost due to safety issues concerning the bus or by driver's fault.

Many states want to put seat belts in buses. I haven't seen that happen in the area I'm originally from or any other area.
Growing up no safety belts on the school buses I rode to school. And the commuter buses I took didn't have safety belts. Nor the tour buses.

Any safari bus I get on I make sure I hold on and sit tight, especially if I get an outside seat.
Older family members, not in the best of health, have been on safaris on St. John sat & held tight, because of the roads. All went well.

Anybody ever been to Tortola and use a safari bus? Their roads are worse than ours (steep, hilly, blind curves, etc.) and the drivers drive fast. We survived.

Don't think we are getting the whole story as to what led to this "freak accident".

Pure speculation, but I wonder if the girl fell asleep, thus contributing to her falling out? I doubt any pothole or bump, specifically, was involved as, based on the article, there was no cause of alarm before hand. The article said her sister just decided to look up from her texting and noticed her sister missing. It said nothing about her sister checking the safety of her as a result of a jolt from a bump or pothole.

So tragic - my thought and prayers go out to this young ladies family.

It is so hard to try to determine what happened and we will never know - it's hard to imagine how she fell out on the only flat section of road (along Maho) - maybe going up the switch backs past Trunk but on the flat section at Maho?? Regardless of how, it truly is such a loss.

Pia

I've always considered those safari buses to be UNSAFE.

And I hope the family sues the VIPD, because they're always trying to place dirt on victims. It's always the victims fault according to the VIPD. I never trust anything that they say.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/07/07/norwell_woman_dies_after_fall_from_bus/

I wonder if VIPD ever completed this investigation. At first they tried to "blame the victim" by stating she was intoxicated. (Medical examination proved she wasn't.) Did VIPD check the taxi driver (at the sceen) for intoxication? Did VIPD immediately impound the the truck and check the mechanical condition? What about the pothole the safari hit? The rate of speed the safari was traveling when it hit the pothole? Why the drive didn't slow to avoid hitting the pothole? Simple solution: 20 year old girl is thrown from the back of a safari, so she must be drunk.

These trucks are ridiculously un-safe. What we need is real public transport. Real accountability for neglectful drivers is also in order.

why would the family sue the VIPD?

slander

It would be for Defamation (false written statement). Slander is a verbal statement.:D

fine....you get my point slander/defamation

Uh. Defamation is a general term which encompasses both slander (verbal misstatement) and libel (written misstatement).

Words MEAN things, people.