Findings on Bluffton bus crash coming Tuesday

BLUFFTON - John Betts doesn't expect to hear anything different than what he already has determined happened when his son was among seven killed in last year's Bluffton University bus crash.

"I expect to hear that my son was launched at 55 miles per hours, 14 feet away from the front of the bus and was killed on impact," Betts, of Bryan, said Thursday. "That is what I expect to hear because that's what happened."

The Betts family will be in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday for a National Transportation Safety Board public meeting scheduled for 9:30 a.m. According to NTSB's Web site, the board will consider the final report on the accident involving the Bluffton baseball team.

Bluffton university will be represented at the meeting by Eric Fulcomer, vice president of enrollment and student life. Officials believe it's important for someone from the school to hear the report firsthand, said Hans Houshower, vice president of advancement.

"We've always valued the NTSB's careful review of the bus accident because it has so significantly impacted our students, our employees and their families," he said. "We are also hopeful that this report will contribute to improved motorcoach safety. ... We feel a responsibility to be there and hear the report."

The crash killed players Tyler Williams, of Lima, Scott Harmon, of Elida, David Betts, of Bryan, Cody Holp, of Arcanum, and Zachary Arend, of Oakwood. The bus driver and wife, Jerome "Jerry" and Jean Niemeyer, of Columbus Grove, also died.

NTSB has been investigating the accident since it occurred in the early morning of March 2, 2007. The team was headed to a tournament in Florida.

It has been believed that the driver mistook a left-side high-occupancy vehicle exit ramp for a regular lane. The motorcoach operated by Executive Coach Luxury Travel, of Ottawa, entered an intersection on an overpass, overrode a bridge wall, and fell 19 feet onto the southbound lanes of Interstate 75.

Betts, who continues to work in favor of a proposed motorcoach safety bill, has done his own investigating. Along with talking to surviving players and coaches, he's examined autopsy reports and pictures, visited the crash site three times and has seen the bus.

"I already have a pretty good handle on what happened," he said. "It will be helpful to hear their recommendations."

Betts expects the report will site three reasons for the crash: driver error, poor highway design and motorcoaches needing better occupancy protection.

The Georgia Department of Transportation has added safety measures to the exit and others. The safety board has been recommending restraints and other safety features for years, he said.

Betts will be in Washington, D.C., Monday to talk to legislators about the bill, which proposes seat belts and better design on charter buses and passenger buses that travel from state to state.

Another Ohio bill is proposing that colleges and universities be required to have seatbelts in buses used to transport students or employees.

A live Webcast of Tuesday's meeting will be available on the board's Web site. It can be viewed through www.limaohio.com.

A summary of the board's final report, which will include findings, probable cause and safety recommendations, will appear on the board's Web site, www.ntsb.gov, shortly after the meeting.