In Texas, 15 Passenger Van Rollover Accidents

On May 8, 2001, a 1993 Dodge 15-passenger van was eastbound on U.S. Route 82 near Henrietta, Texas. The driver and 11 passengers, all members of the First Assembly of God Church in Burkburnett, Texas, occupied the van. As the vehicle approached milepost 538, the left rear tire experienced a tread separation and blowout; subsequently, the van departed the roadway and rolled over at least two times, ejecting seven passengers. The driver and three of the ejected passengers sustained fatal injuries, and eight passengers sustained serious injuries.

The major safety issues discussed in this report are 15-passenger van classification, driver training, occupant protection, and tire condition, inspection, and maintenance. As a result of its investigation of these accidents, the Safety Board made recommendations to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety administration, the 50 States and the District of Columbia, the American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association, the American Automobile Association, the National Safety Council, the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, Ford Motor Company, and General Motors Corporation.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of  the accidents was tire failure, the drivers? response to that failure, and the drivers? inability to maintain control of their vans. Contributing to the accidents was the deteriorated condition of the tires, as a result of the churches? lack of tire maintenance, and the handling characteristics of the vans. Contributing to the severity of the injuries was the lack of appropriate Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards applicable to 15-passenger vans in the areas of restraints and occupant protection.