Bus owner released from jail on bond

By Marcus K. Garner

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The owner of the charter bus that crashed carrying Morehouse College students was released from the Fulton County Jail Thursday night after being arrested earlier in the day for writing bad checks.

Steven McClardy, 38, was arrested on a warrant for two counts of  felony deposit account fraud, authorities said.

A Fulton grand jury recently indicted McClardy, and he was taken into custody Thursday afternoon by Fulton marshals. He was released on $500 bond about 7:30 p.m. Thursday, jail officials said.

The Georgia Public Service Commission on Tuesday opened an investigation of McClardy's charter bus company, Superior Transportation Group, for  allegedly operating without insurance during the time of the bus crash on Saturday.

Forty-two Morehouse marching band members were on board the bus en route to Albany for a football game when it went off the road on I-75. Thirteen students were injured, and one of the students remained hospitalized early into the week.

McClardy's company was among a dozen companies listed by the PSC as operating illegally at the time of the wreck.

According to the Secretary of State's office, the company had been in arrears on its business license.

McClardy  has been in trouble with the U.S. Department of Transportation for failing to have proper insurance.

In June 2002, another company he owned called Superior Tours and Travel Arrangements had its operation authority revoked by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, a separate department within U.S.D.O.T.