Truck driver's (synthetic) drug use led to fatal accident
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has determined that the driver of a truck-tractor that struck a medium-size bus, killing four members of the North Central Texas College softball team, lost control of his vehicle due to incapacitation stemming from his likely use of a synthetic cannabinoid. Synthetic cannabinoids are chemical compounds that are marketed as allegedly legal alternatives to marijuana; however, their effects can be considerably worse and they have been known to cause psychosis, seizures, and nonresponsiveness.
The driver, who had a documented history of drug use, was operating a truck-tractor with a semitrailer northbound on I-35 near Davis, OK. After negotiating a slight rightward curve, the truck departed the left lane, continued across the 100-foot-wide median, and traveled more than 1,100 feet before striking the medium-size bus in the southbound lane of I-35. Four bus passengers died and five were seriously injured. Six additional bus passengers and both drivers sustained minor injuries.