The crash happened 13 years to the day that a bus owned by the same company, Dahlia Group Inc., slid off the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey and killed two people. Monday's accident was the first one involving a Dahlia bus in at least two years, according to the United States Department of Transportation but the company's clean record ends there.
According to data posted to U.S. D.O.T's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA), Dahlia was outperformed when it comes to road safety by 65 percent of motor carriers.
Dahlia Group Inc. is registered in both Flushing, N.Y. and Boston, Mass. Combined records show that safety officials have cited the company 35 times in 20 months. At least four findings of wrongdoing happened during inspections in Connecticut.
Violations, according to both D.O.T. profiles, include defective windshield wipers, speeding more than 15 miles over the limit and worn tires. Police found a Dahlia driver in possession of an alcoholic beverage in at least one case out of Vermont.
Dahlia operates a total of 17 buses between its Flushing and Boston locations, according to their profiles. The specific bus involved in Monday's crash had problems in May 2015. The vehicle failed four maintenance requirements including for air suspension pressure loss. The FMSCA report on that stop also shows inspectors did not find a proper fire extinguisher on the bus, discovered issues with the repair of accessories, and revealed that emergency equipment was not used or inspected correctly. The May 2015 inspection ended with the most citations Dahlia's received in two years.
State police, speaking generally, said some of the violations they cite buses for on Connecticut roads may seem minor, but they could contribute to accidents.
Connecticut investigators have not released a specific cause for Monday's crash.
