PITTSBURGH — The Allegheny County District Attorney's Office will charge two Port Authority bus drivers, saying careless behavior caused the accident on the Parkway North.
"I'm gravely disappointed to hear the district attorney is bring charges against my client," said attorney Joel Sansone.
Sansone said his client's reputation has been ruined by the accusations of excessive speed and horseplay that investigators said led to the September crash.
"The bus began to shake uncontrollably. It went out of control. No fault of hers," said Sansone.
Juliann Maier, 46, was seriously injured after her bus plummeted off Interstate 279 and crashed onto Evergreen Road.
Both Maier and Sansone said a mechanical failure was to blame.
"We could find no problem with the wheel," said District Attorney Stephen Zappala.
Zappala said video from aboard one of the buses shows a different story.
"At the point when the bus is moving back and forth, it actually accelerates," he said. "If there's some mechanical problem, what are you going to do? Accelerate a conveyance that is 33,000 pounds? I think not."
"This is all a cover-up by PAT," said Sansone.
DA to charge PAT drivers involved in accident; Channel 11 talks to one driver's attorney
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