A Baltimore school bus driver, who had a history of seizures, was going nearly twice the posted speed limit last month when he slammed into the back of a car and careened into a transit bus, killing six people, including himself, traffic investigators said Wednesday.
Glen Chappell was going 57 mph in a 30-mph zone when he hit the back of a Ford Mustang on Nov. 1 before crossing into the oncoming lane of traffic and striking a Maryland Transit Authority bus, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board.
The driver of the transit bus and four passengers died in the wreck, along with Chappell. Eleven people were injured.
One week before the fatal crash, paramedics were called after Chappell suffered what appeared to be a seizure. Investigators said it was not the first time he had what was described as a "seizure-like episode."
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A teacher aide, the lone passenger riding with Chappell on Nov. 1, told investigators that after Chappell struck the Mustang, the aide asked what happened. Chappell did not respond. He then hit the commuter bus.
It did not appear that he was legally driving the bus, investigators said. Although he had a current medical certificate, he failed to file it with the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Officials warned Chappell that his medical certificate wasn't on file about two months before the crash, which made him ineligible to operate a commercial motor vehicle.
Chappell was driving the bus for AAAfordable LLC, which had a contract with Baltimore City Public Schools. He drove schools buses for various companies starting in 2008 and started with AAAfordable in May 2014.
Authorities continue to investigate the crash.
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