About 4:05 p.m. on July 7 1984, a bus owned and operated by a church accelerated out of control while descending a long steep grade on State Route 155 near Wofford Heights, California. The bus failed to negotiate a curve, left the road, and rolled to the right down a steep 28-foot embankment before coming to rest. Two of the 41 bus occupants were killed, 9 occupants sustained moderate to severe injuries, and 30 occupants received minor injuries. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the accident was the failure of the busdriver to appropriately respond to the warning sign and to use the vehicle's transmission and service brakes properly to control the vehicle's speed while descending the steep grade. RECOMMENDATIONS As a result of its investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended that the California Yearly Meeting of Friends Church: Disseminate to member churches the circumstances of the accident at Wofford Heights, California, on July 7, 1984. (Class II, Priority Action) (H-85-1) Urge member churches to provide trip itineraries to busdrivers on church-sponsored trips that specify the trip route, scheduled stops, and alternate routes. (Class II, Priority Action) (H-85-2) Urge member churches to establish a systematic maintenance program which requires frequent inspections of brakes and tires on all activity vehicles. (Class II, Priority Action) (H-85-3).
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