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Fung Wah Tour Bus Overturns

Multiple Injuries Reported

POSTED: 2:46 pm EDT September 5, 2006
UPDATED: 7:26 pm EDT September 5, 2006

A tour bus operated by Fung Wah Transportation rolled over in Auburn Tuesday, injuring 33 people, officials said.

NewsCenter 5's Sean Kelly reported that the accident happened at about 2 p.m. on the off-ramp from Route 290 to Exit 7, also known as Route 12.

There were 53 passengers on the bus at the time of the accident, and police said that speed appeared to be a factor. The bus was being operated by Chuandai Chen, 44, of Brooklyn, N.Y., according to the Massachusetts State Police.

"It's well marked that you need to take the ramp slowly. It's typically people who are not familiar with the area, because it does come down and take a sharp turn," Auburn Fire Department Chief Will Whynot said.

Injured passengers were taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center with minor injuries. Passengers who were not injured were taken to Auburn High School.

Fung Wah buses have had problems in the past.

In August 2005, a Fung Wah bus traveling from Boston to New York caught fire on Interstate 91 in Meriden, Conn.

The passengers all got out safely, but within minutes the bus was entirely engulfed in flames. Shortly after that accident, the state vowed to double its number of random bus inspections.

But, Fung Wah drivers may be a bigger issue than the buses.

Team 5 Investigates has learned Fung Wah's federal safety ratings for drivers and safety management are among the worst in the country.

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