List Of Traffic Collisions (before 2000)
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This list of traffic collisions records serious road crashes: those that have a large
death toll ''Death toll'' is the number of dead as a result of a war, disaster, or other event. It may also refer to: * '' Death Toll'', 2008 action film * ''High-Ballin, 1978 action comedy film also released as ''Death Toll'' See also * List of list ...
, occurred in unusual circumstances, or have some other historical significance. For crashes that killed notable people, refer to
List of people who died in traffic collisions This list contains notable people who have been killed in traffic collisions. This list does not include those who were killed competing on closed road events whether in motorsport or in competitive cycling events. Passengers of a vehicle are i ...
. The prevalence of bus crashes in this list is a function of severity rather than of frequency. This list records crashes up to the year 1999. For later crashes see:
List of traffic collisions (2000–present) This list of traffic collisions records serious road crashes: those that have a large death toll, occurred in unusual circumstances, or have some other historical significance, which are notable and have their own Wikipedia article. For crashe ...
. __NOTOC__


1700s

* 1771 – France –
Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot (26 February 1725 – 2 October 1804) was a French inventor who built the world's first full-size and working self-propelled mechanical land-vehicle, the "Fardier à vapeur" – effectively the world's first automobile. B ...
's second
steam-powered A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a cylinder. This pushing force can be tra ...
vehicle is said to have crashed into a wall during a test run, in what would have been the first automobile crash. However, it is disputed that this ever happened. According to Georges Ageon, the earliest mention of this occurrence dates from 1801 and it does not feature in contemporary accounts.


1800s

* July 1834 – United Kingdom – A steam carriage constructed by
John Scott Russell John Scott Russell FRSE FRS FRSA (9 May 1808, Parkhead, Glasgow – 8 June 1882, Ventnor, Isle of Wight) was a Scottish civil engineer, naval architect and shipbuilder who built '' Great Eastern'' in collaboration with Isambard Kingdom Brunel. ...
, which was operating a public transport service between
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
and Paisley, overturned after hitting an obstruction in the road. This caused a boiler explosion which killed five passengers and injured others. Russell's carriage comprised a self-propelling steam engine pulling a combined passenger and fuel tender. * August 31, 1869 – Ireland – While riding as a passenger with relatives in an experimental
steam car A steam car is a car (automobile) propelled by a steam engine. A steam engine is an external combustion engine (ECE) in which the fuel is combusted outside of the engine, unlike an internal combustion engine (ICE) in which fuel is combusted ins ...
,
Mary Ward Mary Ward may refer to: Scientists and academics * Mary Ward (nurse) (1884–1972) English nurse to the boat people on the waterways * Mary Ward (scientist) (née King, 1827–1869) Irish amateur scientist, was killed by an experimental steam car ...
was thrown from the car and fell under the wheels as it rounded a bend. Mary Rose's collision may be characterized as the first fatality involving a vehicle in the form of a contemporary motorcar, in which the engine is mounted and passengers ride on the same frame. It took place in the town of Birr, which was known at that time as Parsonstown. The car was built by her cousins, the sons of
William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse (17 June 1800 – 31 October 1867), was an Irish astronomer, naturalist, and engineer. He was president of the Royal Society (UK), the most important association of naturalists in the world in the nineteenth ...
. * 1891 – United States –
John William Lambert John William Lambert (January 29, 1860  May 20, 1952) was an American automobile manufacturer pioneer and inventor. He is the inventor of the first practical American gasoline automobile. He operated large manufacturing companies that made ...
was involved in the first recorded automobile crash in American history. The crash occurred in
Ohio City, Ohio Ohio City is a village in Liberty Township, Van Wert County, Ohio, United States. The population was 705 at the 2010 census. It is included within the Van Wert, Ohio Micropolitan Statistical Area. Geography Ohio City is located at (40.770878, ...
. Lambert's vehicle—the first single-cylinder gasoline automobile—was carrying Lambert and James Swoveland when it hit a tree root, causing the car to careen out of control and smash into a hitching post. Injuries were minor. * August 17, 1896 – United Kingdom – Death of Bridget Driscoll. Bridget Driscoll is the first person to die in a petrol-engined car crash, and the first pedestrian victim of an automobile crash in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
. As she crossed the grounds of
The Crystal Palace The Crystal Palace was a cast iron and plate glass structure, originally built in Hyde Park, London, Hyde Park, London, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. The exhibition took place from 1 May to 15 October 1851, and more than 14,000 exhibit ...
in London, she was struck by an automobile belonging to the
Anglo-French Motor Carriage Company Anglo-French (or sometimes Franco-British) may refer to: *France–United Kingdom relations *Anglo-Norman language or its decendants, varieties of French used in medieval England *Anglo-Français and Français (hound), an ancient type of hunting d ...
that was being used to give demonstration rides. * February 25, 1899 – United Kingdom – Edwin Sewell and Major Richer are thrown from their vehicle on
Harrow on the Hill Harrow on the Hill is a locality and historic village in the borough of Harrow in Greater London, England. The name refers to Harrow Hill, ,Mills, A., ''Dictionary of London Place Names'', (2001) and is located some half a mile south of the mod ...
,
Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...
, and killed. Sewell's death is the first recorded fatality of a driver. * September 13, 1899 – United States –
Henry H. Bliss The death of Henry Hale Bliss (June 13, 1830 – September 14, 1899) was the first recorded instance of a person being killed in a motor vehicle collision in the United States. Death On September 13, 1899, at West 74th Street and Central Pa ...
is the first person killed by a car in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. He was struck by an electric-powered
taxicab A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice ...
while exiting the 8th Avenue trolley on
West 74th Street 74th Street is an east–west street carrying pedestrian traffic and eastbound automotive/bicycle traffic in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It runs through the Upper East Side neighborhood (in ZIP code 10021, where it is known as East ...
and
Central Park West Eighth Avenue is a major north–south avenue on the west side of Manhattan in New York City, carrying northbound traffic below 59th Street. It is one of the original avenues of the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 to run the length of Manhattan, ...
in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
.


1920s

* June 10, 1925 – United Kingdom –
Dibbles Bridge coach crash On 27 May 1975, a coach carrying elderly passengers crashed at the bottom of a steep hill at Dibble's Bridge, near Hebden in North Yorkshire, England. Thirty-three people on board were killed, including the driver, and thirteen others injure ...
. A tour coach ran away following brake failure and fell off a bridge near
Hebden, North Yorkshire Hebden ( ) is a village and civil parish in the Craven District of North Yorkshire, England, and one of four villages in the ecclesiastical parish of Linton. It lies near Grimwith Reservoir and Grassington, in Wharfedale in the Yorkshire Dale ...
whilst en route to
Bolton Abbey Bolton Abbey in Wharfedale, North Yorkshire, England, takes its name from the ruins of the 12th-century Augustinian monastery now known as Bolton Priory. The priory, closed in the 1539 Dissolution of the Monasteries ordered by King Henry ...
, killing seven passengers.


1930s

* August 29, 1935 – Belgium –
Queen Astrid Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mothe ...
of Belgium is killed in a car crash in
Küssnacht am Rigi Küssnacht am Rigi (official name since 2004: Küssnacht) is a village and a district and a municipality in the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland. The municipality consists of three villages Küssnacht, Immensee, and Merlischachen, the hamlet ''Ha ...
, near
Lake Lucerne __NOTOC__ Lake Lucerne (german: Vierwaldstättersee, literally "Lake of the four forested settlements" (in English usually translated as ''forest cantons''), french: lac des Quatre-Cantons, it, lago dei Quattro Cantoni) is a lake in central ...
,
Schwyz The town of Schwyz (; french: Schwytz; it, Svitto) is the capital of the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland. The Federal Charter of 1291 or ''Bundesbrief'', the charter that eventually led to the foundation of Switzerland, can be seen at the '' ...
,
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
. She was riding in a
Packard One-Twenty The Packard Twelfth Series One-Twenty is an automobile produced by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, from 1935 to 1937 and from 1939 through the 1941 model years. The One-Twenty model designation was derived from the wheelbase, a ...
driven by her husband
King Leopold III Leopold III (3 November 1901 – 25 September 1983) was King of the Belgians from 23 February 1934 until his abdication on 16 July 1951. At the outbreak of World War II, Leopold tried to maintain Belgian neutrality, but after the German invasi ...
when it went off the road and crashed into a pear tree. * March 25, 1937 – United States – A bus carrying a
roller derby Roller derby is a roller skating contact sport played by two teams of fifteen members. Roller derby is played by approximately 1,250 amateur leagues worldwide, mostly in the United States. Game play consists of a series of short scrimmages (jam ...
team crashed just west of
Salem, Illinois Salem is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,485 at the 2010 census. Geography Salem is located at (38.6282, -88.9482). According to the 2010 census, Salem has a total area of , of w ...
, killing 21 of the 23 people on the bus. * April 4, 1939 – Iraq –
King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
Ghazi of Iraq Ghazi ibn Faisal ( ar, غازي ابن فيصل, Gâzî ibn-i Faysal) (21 March 1912 – 4 April 1939) was the King of Iraq from 1933 to 1939 having been briefly Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Syria in 1920. He was born in Mecca, the only son ...
is killed in a car crash in
Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...
.


1940s

* October 1941 – United Kingdom – A
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
bus crashes into a lorry and catches fire near
Cheltenham Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...
,
Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...
, killing 9 airmen and injuring 13. * June 1944 – United Kingdom – A
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
lorry crashes into a house in
Burley in Wharfedale Burley in Wharfedale is a village and (as just Burley) a civil parish in the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated in the Wharfedale valley. The village is situated on the A65 road, approximately north-west from Leeds, ...
,
Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
, killing 19 soldiers."Twenty-three Cadets Killed by Bus at Chatham", ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'', December 5, 1951
* October 1944 – United Kingdom – A
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
bus collides with a lorry near
Marlborough, Wiltshire Marlborough ( , ) is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the England, English Counties of England, county of Wiltshire on the A4 road (England), Old Bath Road, the old main road from London to Bath, Somerset, Bath. Th ...
, killing 10 soldiers and injuring 21. * August 1946 – United States – 2 cars collided head-on on
U.S. Route 30 U.S. Route 30 or U.S. Highway 30 (US 30) is an east–west main route in the system of the United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country. With a length of , it is the third longest ...
, 27 miles northwest of
Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...
, killing 5 people and injuring 2. * October 1947 – United Kingdom – A bus crashes into a building in
Holmfirth Holmfirth is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England, on the A635 and A6024 in the Holme Valley, at the confluence of the River Holme and Ribble, south of Huddersfield and west of Barnsley. It mostly consist ...
, Yorkshire, killing 9 people. * January 1948 – United Kingdom – A bus skidded into a bus queue in
Bargeddie Bargeddie (; gd, Bàrr Geadaidh) is a village in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, just inside the suburban fringe of Glasgow, east of the city centre, and close to the junction of the M73 and M8 motorways. The nearest major town is Coatbridge, to ...
, near
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
, Scotland, killing 8 people and injuring 12. * November 24, 1948 – Sweden – A
trolleybus A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or troll ...
on line 96 collided with a truck, which loaded with concrete slabs that were heading in the opposite direction. The bus drove off
Essingebron Essingebron (Swedish: "The Essinge Bridge") are two parallel bridges in central Stockholm, Sweden, inaugurated August 21, 1966, and September 3, 1967. Forming a section of the Essingeleden motorway they connect the two islands Stora Essingen and ...
in
Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
and 11 people died.


1950s


1950

* February 11 – Japan – A Takase-
Kumamoto is the capital city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 738,907 and a population density of 1,893 people per km2. The total area is 390.32 km2. had a population of 1,461,000, ...
Kyūshū Sanko regular route bus plunges into a pond below at
Matsuo Matsuo may refer to: Places * Matsuo, Chiba * Matsuo, Iwate *Mount Matsuo *Matsuo Station (disambiguation) * Siege of Matsuo *Matsuo mine , was an iron and sulphur mine located in the village of Matsuo, Iwate Prefecture in the Tohoku region of n ...
,
Kumamoto is the capital city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 738,907 and a population density of 1,893 people per km2. The total area is 390.32 km2. had a population of 1,461,000, ...
,
Kyūshū is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surround ...
, killing 22 people and injuring 18.
National Police Agency National Police may refer to the national police forces of several countries: *Afghanistan: Afghan National Police *Haiti: Haitian National Police *Colombia: National Police of Colombia *Cuba: Cuban National Police *East Timor: National Police of E ...
of Japan
* May – United Kingdom – A bus and a tram collide in
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
, killing 7 people and injuring 43. * November 7 – Japan – A regular route bus plunges into the Mononobe river, Mirabu, eastern
Kōchi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Kōchi Prefecture has a population of 757,914 (1 December 2011) and has a geographic area of 7,103 km2 (2,742 sq mi). Kōchi Prefecture borders Ehime Prefecture to the northwest and ...
,
Shikoku is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is long and between wide. It has a population of 3.8 million (, 3.1%). It is south of Honshu and northeast of Kyushu. Shikoku's ancient names include ''Iyo-no-futana-shima'' (), '' ...
, killing 33 people and injuring 24.


1951

* July 15 – Japan – A Shimokawai- Chubutenryu regular route bus plunges off the Harada bridge,
Tenryū River The is a river in central Honshū, Japan. With a length of , it is Japan's ninth longest river. Its source is Lake Suwa in the Kiso Mountains near Okaya, Nagano, Okaya in Nagano Prefecture. It then flows through Aichi Prefecture and western Shi ...
,
Urakawa, Hokkaidō is a town located in Hidaka Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. As of September 2016, the town has an estimated population of 12,800 and a density of 18 persons per km2. The total area is 694.24 km2. Climate Urakawa has a humid continental cl ...
, northwestern
Shizuoka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Shizuoka Prefecture has a population of 3,637,998 and has a geographic area of . Shizuoka Prefecture borders Kanagawa Prefecture to the east, Yamanashi Prefecture to the northea ...
, killing 24. * December 4 – United Kingdom –
Gillingham bus disaster The Gillingham bus disaster occurred outside Chatham Dockyard, Kent on the evening of 4 December 1951. A double-decker bus ploughed into a company (military unit), company of fifty-two young members of the Royal Marines Volunteer Cadet Corps, ...
. During an evening march in a badly-lit area, a
double-decker bus A double-decker bus or double-deck bus is a bus that has two storeys or decks. They are used for mass transport in the United Kingdom, the United States, New Zealand, Europe, Asia and also in cities such as Sydney; the best-known example is the ...
struck a company of fifty-two young members of the
Royal Marines Volunteer Cadet Corps The Royal Marines Volunteer Cadet Corps (RMVCC) is part of the Royal Navy's Volunteer Cadet Corps. There are units (Divisions) in Arbroath, Chivenor, Gosport, Lympstone, Portsmouth, and Plymouth. The RMVCC exists alongside the Royal Marines Ca ...
, aged between ten and thirteen years. 24 cadets were killed and 18 injured; at the time it was the greatest loss of life of any road crash in British history. The crash was ruled accidental.


1954

* September 29 – Netherlands – The brakes and gear box of a Belgian tourist bus fail on the downhill slope of the
Cauberg The Cauberg is a hill in Valkenburg aan de Geul, a town in the South Limburg region of the Netherlands. The hill played an important role in the early development of tourism in Valkenburg. Today, several major tourist attractions are situated on or ...
, near
Valkenburg aan de Geul Valkenburg aan de Geul (; li, Valkeberg ) is a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality situated in the southeastern Dutch Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Limburg (Netherlands), Limburg. The name refers to the central town in the ...
, hitting a pedestrian, then a monument and a building. 19 people were killed. * November 12 –
Réunion Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island ...
– The brakes of a bus failed on the downhill slope of Plateau-Caillou in Saint-Paul. 54 people were killed.


1955

* September 30 – United States -
Death of James Dean Hollywood actor James Dean was killed at age 24 in an auto accident on September 30, 1955, near Cholame, California. He had previously competed in several auto racing events, and was traveling to a sports car racing competition when he was involv ...
. The death of Hollywood actor
James Dean James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931September 30, 1955) was an American actor. He is remembered as a cultural icon of teenage disillusionment and social estrangement, as expressed in the title of his most celebrated film, ''Rebel Without a Cause' ...
occurred near
Cholame, California Cholame (; Salinan: ''Tco'alam'') is an unincorporated community in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. It sits within a mile of the San Andreas Fault at an elevation of above sea level and is located at . Cholame is reached via ...
. Dean had previously competed in several auto racing events, and was traveling to a sports car racing competition when his
Porsche 550 Spyder The Porsche 550 is a racing sports car produced by Porsche from 1953 until 1956. In that time only 90 Porsche 550s were produced, and they quickly established dominance in the 1.1- and 1.5- liter classes. The Porsche 550 is a mid-engine car with ...
collided with another car at the junction of California State Route 46 (former 466) and California State Route 41. He was 24 years old.


1957

* June 6 – United States – An early morning collision occurred north of
Fayetteville, North Carolina Fayetteville () is a city in and the county seat of Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a major U.S. Army installation northwest of the city. Fayetteville has received the All-America C ...
, where a flat bed truck packed with migrant workers pulled in front of a tractor-trailer hauling potatoes. It killed 21 people. At the time, it is the worst traffic fatality accident in U.S. history. * November 10 –
1957 Saint-Paul bus accident The 1957 Saint-Paul bus accident took place on Sunday, 10 November 1957, on a meandering road overpassing downtown Saint-Paul, one of the sub-prefectures of the island of Réunion. Caused by a rupture in the brakes of a bus on an incline, it caus ...
– The brakes of a bus ruptured on an incline, causing 27 deaths.


1958

* February 28 – United States – Prestonsburg, Kentucky, bus crash. A school bus in
Floyd County, Kentucky Floyd County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 35,942. Its county seat is Prestonsburg. The county, founded in 1800, is named for Colonel John Floyd (1750–1783). History On Decembe ...
hit a wrecker truck on
US 23 } U.S. Route 23 or U.S. Highway 23 (US 23) is a major north–south U.S. Highway between Jacksonville, Florida, and Mackinaw City, Michigan. It is an original 1926 route which originally reached only as far south as Portsmouth, Ohio, and has since ...
and plunged down an embankment into the rain-swollen
Levisa Fork River The Levisa Fork (also known as the Levisa Fork River or the Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River) is a tributary of the Big Sandy River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe Nati ...
. The driver and 26 children died in the worst school bus crash in U.S. history. * December 22 – Greece – A suburban bus from
Ioannina Ioannina ( el, Ιωάννινα ' ), often called Yannena ( ' ) within Greece, is the capital and largest city of the Ioannina regional unit and of Epirus, an administrative region in north-western Greece. According to the 2011 census, the c ...
to
Chouliarades Chouliarades (Greek: Χουλιαράδες) is a village in the municipality of North Tzoumerka, Greece. Its population was 140 people (2011 census). It is a traditional settlement since November 23, 1998 (Law 908D) and its code number is 123172 ...
carrying 34 people failed to complete a manoeuvre on the steep road near the village of
Petrovouni, Ioannina Petrovouni ( el, Πετροβούνι, meaning "rocky mountain", before 1927: Βασταβέτσι - ''Vastavetsi'') is a village in the municipal unit of Tzoumerka ( Ioannina, Epirus), Greece. It is situated on a mountainside of the Athamanika moun ...
. It subsequently fell down the 350m slope to Arachthos gorge, killing 29 people, 7 of which were minors.


1959

* June 20 – West Germany – Lauffen bus crash. A crowded bus collided with a train on a level crossing in
Lauffen am Neckar Lauffen am Neckar () or simply Lauffen is a town in the district of Heilbronn, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is on the river Neckar, southwest of Heilbronn. The town is famous as the birthplace of the poet Friedrich Hölderlin and for its qu ...
, killing 45 people. It was the worst bus crash in German history. * September 10 – United States – A school bus stalled on railroad tracks in
Oakland, Maryland Oakland is a town in the west-central part of Garrett County, Maryland, United States. The town has a population of 1,925 according to the 2010 United States Census. The town is also the county seat of Garrett County and is located within the Pitt ...
, was hit by a train, killing 7 children and injuring 11.


1960s


1960

* July 24 – Japan – A charter bus collides with a regular route bus, the charter bus plunging into a valley along the toll road of
Mount Hiei is a mountain to the northeast of Kyoto, lying on the border between the Kyoto and Shiga Prefectures, Japan. The temple of Enryaku-ji, the first outpost of the Japanese Tendai (Chin. Tiantai) sect of Buddhism, was founded atop Mount Hiei by S ...
, Ōtsu, Shiga, killing 30 people and injuring another 18. * September 14 – Greece – A truck struck a suburban bus which subsequently crashed into an olive tree between
Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
and
Corinth Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part o ...
, killing 11 people. * November 29 – Canada – 17 high schoolers from the town of
Chipman, Alberta Chipman is a village in central Alberta, Canada within Lamont County and Census Division No. 10. It is located on Highway 15, approximately 11 km (7 mi) southeast of Lamont, 22 km (14 mi) northwest of Mundare, 70 km (44&n ...
died after a school bus was hit by a train near
Lamont, Alberta Lamont is a town in central Alberta, Canada. It is located east of Edmonton at the junction of Highway 15 and Highway 831. History Settlement began in the 1880s. The area's location along the Victoria Trail, which was used by travellers betw ...
. An additional 25 people were injured.


1961

* December 14 – United States – 20 schoolchildren were killed in a bus-train collision in
Evans, Colorado The City of Evans is a home rule municipality located in Weld County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 22,165 at the 2020 United States Census, a 19.57% increase since the 2010 United States Census. Evans is a part of the Greeley, ...
. The bus driver had stopped at the rural track but did not see or hear the train arriving. The bus had almost passed over the track when it was struck.


1962

* June 11 – Argentina –
Villa Soldati level crossing tragedy The Villa Soldati level crossing disaster occurred on the morning of June 11, 1962 in the Villa Soldati neighborhood of Buenos Aires, when, in dense fog, a train struck a municipal bus carrying schoolchildren.
. A train struck a municipal bus in
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
whilst it was carrying school children to kindergarten. 42 children were killed and 83 were injured.


1963

* February 7 – New Zealand – Brynderwyn bus accident. A bus in
Northland Region The Northland Region ( mi, Te Tai Tokerau) is the northernmost of New Zealand's 16 local government regions. New Zealanders sometimes refer to it as the Winterless North because of its mild climate all throughout the year. The main population ...
leaves the road after brake failure and rolls down a valley, killing 15 people, and becomes the worst road crash in New Zealand history up to that time. * April 7 – Kenya – A bus returning from a church meeting plunged into the Tiva River, Mitaboni,
Machakos Machakos, also called Masaku is a town in Kenya, southeast of Nairobi. It is the capital of the Machakos County, Kenya. Its population is rapidly growing and was 150,041 as of 2009 and Machakos County had a population of 1,421,932 as of 2019 ...
, killing at least 72 people. * May 18 – United States – A bus carrying 42 migrant agricultural workers crashed into a canal in
Belle Glade, Florida Belle Glade is a city in south-central Florida and it is the far western part of Palm Beach County, Florida, United States, on the southeastern shore of Lake Okeechobee. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 17,467. Bel ...
, killing 27 people. * June 10 – United States – An open truck carrying 49
Boy Scouts Boy Scouts may refer to: * Boy Scout, a participant in the Boy Scout Movement. * Scouting, also known as the Boy Scout Movement. * An organisation in the Scouting Movement, although many of these organizations also have female members. There are ...
and leaders stalls while climbing a hill en route to Hole in the Rock,
Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
. It loses its brakes and plunges into Carcass Wash, killing 13 people. * September 17 – United States – Chualar bus crash. In the worst auto accident in U.S. history, a train hit a flatbed truck used as a bus at a rail crossing in
Chualar, California Chualar (Spanish for "Pigweed grove") is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in the Salinas Valley of Monterey County, California, United States. Chualar is located southeast of Salinas, at an elevation of . The popula ...
, killing 32 people and injuring 25.


1965

* January 1 – Peru – A
Huancayo Huancayo (; in qu, label=Wanka Quechua, Wankayuq , '(place) with a (sacred) rock') is the capital of Junín Region, in the central highlands of Peru. Location Huancayo is located in Huancayo Province, of which it is also the capital. Sit ...
-
Ayacucho Ayacucho (, qu, Ayak'uchu) is the capital city of Ayacucho Region and of Huamanga Province, Ayacucho Region, Peru. During the Inca Empire and Viceroyalty of Peru periods the city was known by the name of Huamanga (Quechua: Wamanga), and it c ...
regular route bus plunges into a ravine of the
Mantaro River The Mantaro River ( es, Río Mantaro, qu, Hatunmayu) is a long river running through the central region of Peru. Its Quechua name means "great river". The word "Mantaro" may be a word originally from the Asháninka language, who live downstream al ...
, killing 31 people. * January 10 – Mexico – A bus carrying soccer players and their families plunges into a ravine on the outskirts of
Dolores Hidalgo Dolores Hidalgo (; in full, Dolores Hidalgo Cuna de la Independencia Nacional, en, Dolores Hidalgo Birthplace of exicanNational Independence) is the name of a city and the surrounding municipality in the north-central part of the Mexican state o ...
,
Guanajuato Guanajuato (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guanajuato ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Guanajuato), is one of the 32 states that make up the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 46 municipalities and its capital city i ...
, killing 19 people and injuring 22.
Notimex Notimex is the official Mexican news agency, created on August 20, 1968 to handle coverage of the 1968 Summer Olympics. Notimex is headquartered in Mexico City and has five hundred and sixty-eight regional coordinating offices throughout Mexico. ...
news agency
* February 3 – Mexico – A regular route bus plunges off a cliff along the Mexico-
Ciudad Juárez Ciudad Juárez ( ; ''Juarez City''. ) is the most populous city in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. It is commonly referred to as Juárez and was known as El Paso del Norte (''The Pass of the North'') until 1888. Juárez is the seat of the Ju ...
expressway on the outskirts of
Zacatecas , image_map = Zacatecas in Mexico (location map scheme).svg , map_caption = State of Zacatecas within Mexico , coordinates = , coor_pinpoint = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type ...
, killing 25 people and injuring 40.
Televisa Grupo Televisa is a Mexican multimedia mass media company. A major Latin American mass media corporation, it often presents itself as the largest producer of Spanish-language content. In April 2021, Televisa and Univision Communications announce ...
news report
* February 10 – Egypt – A truck carrying 66 people plunged into a canal on the outskirts of El Ayyat, killing 36 people. The truck driver is arrested on suspicion of driving without a license. * February 18 – Italy – A
Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
-
Salerno Salerno (, , ; nap, label= Salernitano, Saliernë, ) is an ancient city and ''comune'' in Campania (southwestern Italy) and is the capital of the namesake province, being the second largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, after ...
regular route bus plunges into a ravine on the Naples-
Pompeii Pompeii (, ) was an ancient city located in what is now the ''comune'' of Pompei near Naples in the Campania region of Italy. Pompeii, along with Herculaneum and many villas in the surrounding area (e.g. at Boscoreale, Stabiae), was buried ...
expressway near
Mount Vesuvius Mount Vesuvius ( ; it, Vesuvio ; nap, 'O Vesuvio , also or ; la, Vesuvius , also , or ) is a somma-stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples in Campania, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is one of s ...
, killing 17 people and injuring 60.Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata, ANSA news agency * March 2 – Austria – 12 Swedish schoolchildren and 2 Finnish girls on winter sports holiday were killed when the bus they were traveling in was swept away in an avalanche in Obertauern. * November 1 – Egypt – A crowded trolley bus plunges into the Nile on the outskirts of Dokki, Giza, killing 74 people. * December 6 – Togo – Two trucks carrying United Nations peacekeeping workers collide in Sotouboua. Togolese authorities claim 125 people were killed.


1966

* July 25 – West Germany – A bus carrying Belgian children on vacation plunges off an Autobahn bridge and crashes on its roof. 33 people were killed, including 27 children and the driver who fell asleep at the wheel. Only 4 people survived. * October 7 – Canada – Dorion level crossing accident, Dorion level crossing crash. 19 people were killed when a school bus was hit by a Canadian National Railway, CN Rail freight train in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec.


1967

* December 15 – United States – The Silver Bridge linking Point Pleasant, West Virginia, and Gallipolis, Ohio, collapses into the Ohio River under heavy traffic, killing 46 people.


1968

* August 18 – Japan – Hidagawa bus crash. During intense rain, two charter buses crash into the Hida River on national highway route 41 in Gero, Gifu, Gero, Gifu Prefecture, killing 104 people.


1969

* June 6 – Philippines – A regular route bus navigating a sharp descending curve on a narrow mountain road near Baler, Aurora, Baler, Quezon, plunged into a ravine and burst into flames. 40 people were killed and 32 were injured.GMA Network news report * June 21 – Syria – An overcrowded vehicle carrying 35 workers crashed at Maharda, Al-Amam, killing 25 people.Syrian Arab News Agency * July 18 – United States – Chappaquiddick incident. Mary Jo Kopechne was killed when a car driven by US Senator Ted Kennedy crashed off the Dike Bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts. A political scandal ensued.


1970s


1970

* September 27 – South Korea – A regular route bus plunged off a mountain cliff on the outskirts of Myongju, South Gyeongsang Province, killing 15 people and injuring 20.Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation report * November 22 – Argentina – A bus plunged into a creek on the outskirts of Reconquista, Santa Fe, killing 56 people and leaving 4 survivors.Artear television news report


1971

* May 10 – South Korea – At least 75 people drowned when a bus carrying nearly 90 passengers plunged into a reservoir near Cheongpyeong. * September 17 – Spain – In Valdepeñas a truck carrying three tons of bricks crashed into a French Coach bus, killing 18, including 17 Quebecers, Quebecer tourists.


1972

* March 22 – United States – Gilchrest Road, New York crossing accident. Five Nyack High School, high school students were killed and 44 injured when a Penn Central Transportation Company, Penn Central train hit a school bus that failed to stop at a crossing. This incident caused the State of New York to require school vehicles to stop at all railroad crossings. * May 13 – United States – 1972 Bean Station bus-truck collision, Bean Station bus-truck collision. 14 people were killed in a head-on collision between a double-decker Greyhound Lines, Greyhound bus and a tractor-trailer on U.S. Route 11W near Bean Station, Tennessee. One of the deadliest crashes in Tennessee history, it led to the completion of Interstate 81 and the widening of many highways in the state from two lanes to four. * June 25 – Spain – A bus carrying soccer fans home from a game plunged into a ravine near Cáceres, Spain, Cáceres, killing 22 and injuring 34. * August 25 – Netherlands – Many cars and trucks collided in sudden dense fog on the A16 motorway (Netherlands), A16 motorway near Prinsenbeek, killing 13. A fog warning system was installed after this crash, however a similar crash occurred 18 years later. * September 23 – Japan – An Myōkō, Niigata, Akakura-Togakushi, Nagano, Togakushi regular route bus carrying 82 passengers plunged from a single-lane road into a ravine in Shinano, Nagano. 15 people were killed and 67 were injured.


1973

* July 18 – France – A bus carrying Belgian tourists plunged into a ravine in Vizille, killing 43 people. * September 26 – Australia – A tourist bus carrying pensioners on a sightseeing trip plunged over the Tumut Pond Dam, killing 15 and injuring 23. * November 4 – United States – A bus carrying gamblers to Reno, Nevada crashed into a pillar five miles north of Sacramento, California, killing 13 and injuring 31. * November 20 – Mexico – An overcrowded bus carrying religious pilgrims skidded off a road and plunged into a ravine 50 miles southwest of Mexico City, killing at least 15 and injuring 43. A further 10 were reported missing. Most of the passengers were children.


1974

* January 15 – United States – 1974 Blythe, California bus crash, Blythe, California bus crash. A bus carrying farm laborers missed a ninety-degree turn on an intersection and fell into a drainage canal near Blythe, California, killing 19. * July 28 – Brazil – A crowded bus and a truck collided near Belém, killing 69 people. * July 30 – United States – A 1972 Oldsmobile station wagon, occupied by four children and four adults, collided with a Soo Line freight train at the Fibre Crossing, which did not have lights or gates installed. All eight were killed.


1975

* January 1 – Japan – A charter bus carrying 62 passengers plunged into Aoki Lake, Ōmachi, Nagano, killing 24 people. * April 2 – France – A bus carrying religious pilgrims suffered a brake failure and plunged off a bridge near Vizille, killing 27 and injuring 16. * May 27 – United Kingdom – Dibbles Bridge coach crash. A bus full of pensioners falls off a bridge near Hebden, North Yorkshire, Hebden, North Yorkshire, killing 32 people and injuring 13. * June 15 – Austria – A tour bus carrying pensioners suffered a brake failure and went over an embankment into a ravine near Villach, killing 21 and injuring 23 in Austria's worst bus disaster.


1976

* February 16 – Sweden – The worst traffic accident in Sweden occurred outside Axamo, Jönköping. Overheated tires caused a bus fire, killing 15 and injuring 28. * May 21 – United States – Yuba City bus disaster. A bus carrying the Yuba City High School a cappella choir fell off Interstate 680 (California), Interstate 680 in California, killing 28 students and a teacher. This was the second deadliest bus crash in U.S. history, after the 1963 Chualar bus crash. * August 22 – Brazil – Former president Juscelino Kubitschek was killed when his car crashed into a truck on the Dutra Highway. His driver was also killed. * December 21 – France – A school bus carrying mentally handicapped children returning from the Édouard Séguin Children Medical Center plunged into the River Rhône on the outskirts of Lyon, killing at least 13 people.


1977

* June 9 – Russia – A truck crashes into a crowd at a downtown Moscow bus stop, killing eight people and injuring 18.Oberg, James E. ''Uncovering Soviet Disasters: Exploring the Limits of Glasnost.'' New York: Random House, 1988: 106. * August 11 – Japan – A charter bus plunged into a ravine at Nagatoro bridge, Kōfu, Yamanashi Prefecture, killing 11 people and injuring 39.


1978

* January 22 – Poland – . Soviet Army truck loaded with parts of a pontoon bridge collided with crowded bus, killing 15 people and injuring 14. *July 11 – Spain – Los Alfaques disaster. In La Ràpita, a tank truck containing 45 m³ of Liquefied petroleum gas, liquefied propylene left the road and veered into the Los Alfaques camping site after colliding with a building. The resulting BLEVE, fire ball was more than 100 meters in diameter and killed at least 215 people (some sources speak of 216 or even 270), and injured 200. * August 4 – Canada – A bus carrying mentally handicapped people plunged into a lake in Eastman, Quebec, killing 40 people. Only seven people survived. * November 15 – Poland – . Two buses with miners going to work plunged into the river Jezioro Żywieckie near Żywiec, killing 33 people. * December 21 – Spain – A school bus was struck by a locomotive on a level crossing near Salamanca, killing 28 and injuring 36.


1979

* April 10 – Spain – A bus carrying pupils from a trip to Madrid and Toledo, Spain, Toledo plunged into a river near Benavente, Zamora, Benavente, killing 50 of the 60 people aboard. * June 2 – South Korea – A bus collided with a truck and plunged into a river near Sarnchok, killing around 20 and injuring 20. * August 16 – Yugoslavia – A bus collided with a truck and plunged into a river near Novi Sad killing 14 and injuring 40.


1980s


1980

* March 3 – Belarus – A city bus 62 caught fire in Minsk after driving into a pool of gasoline spilled from a fuel truck, burning 23 people to death. * May 9 – United States – Sunshine Skyway Bridge disaster. In Tampa, Florida, a cargo ship collided with a bridge pier, demolishing over 1200 ft. of the bridge and killing 35 people. * June 5 – United States – A tour bus rolled off the highway near Jasper, Arkansas, killing 22 people and injuring 19. * June 29 – Pakistan – A bus carrying more than 100 women and children plunged into a canal in Upper Jhelam, near Mirpur, Pakistan, Mirpur, Azad Kashmir, and at least 90 people drowned as a result. * June 29 – Romania – Huțani bus accident. A bus carrying 83 people went off a bridge and overturned into a deep marsh near Huțani, a village in Vlădeni, Botoșani, killing 48 people and injuring 35.


1981

* April 26 – Mexico – A head-on collision of a bus and a truck near Tijuana killed 30 people and injured 10 to 15. * May 22 – Mexico – A head-on collision of a bus and a truck in Chiapas province killed 33 people. * September 29 – Spain – A head-on collision of a bus and a truck in Toledo Province killed at least 25 people. * November 28 – Chile – A collision between a bus and a truck 200 miles south of Santiago on the Pan-American Highway killed 32 and injured 10.


1982

* January 31 – Chile – Two buses collide and plunge into a gorge on the outskirts of Santiago, killing 14 people and injuring 70. * April 20 – Egypt – A bus carrying Greek tourists to visit the Saint Catherine's Monastery crashed near Arish in the Sinai Desert, killing 18 and injuring 27. * August 1 – France – Beaune coach crash. Two buses carrying children collided with cars and burst into flames in Beaune, killing 53 people, including 44 children in the worst highway crash in France. * August 12 – Mexico - Boxer Salvador Sánchez was killed when his Porsche 928 crashed into a truck along the federal highway from Querétaro, Querétaro, Querétaro to San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí. * September 12 – Switzerland – A bus carrying German tourists collides with a train on a level crossing near Zürich, killing 39 people. The barriers were not closed, because the operator pressed a wrong button. Only two passengers survived the crash. It was the worst road crash in Switzerland to date. * September 13 – Monaco – Death of Grace Kelly. Grace, Princess of Monaco drove her Rover P6 off of a serpentine roadway and down a mountainside after suffering a stroke. She died in hospital the next day. * September 19 – Australia – A bus carrying students from Merredin College returning from a football game in Perth ran off the road and struck a tree, killing 10 and injuring eight. * November 3 – Afghanistan – 1982 Salang Tunnel fire, Salang Tunnel fire – Hundreds were killed in a tunnel fire after a disaster involving a Soviet fuel convoy. Estimates are as great as 2,700 dead.


1983

* January 19 – United States – A semi-trailer truck crashed into a mainline toll booth on the Connecticut Turnpike in Stratford, Connecticut, after brake failure, killing six people and injuring four. * February 11 – Greece – A Greek Railways bus carrying passengers from Thessaloniki to
Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
was involved with a head-on collision with a truck 80 miles northwest of Athens killing 17 and injuring 10. * April 26 – Italy – A bus carrying students from
Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
to Lake Garda collided with a trailer-truck in a highway tunnel just south of Florence, killing 12 and injuring 35. * May 24 – Italy – A bus carrying elderly pilgrims from the city of Monza skidded off a highway and fell into a ravine near Tignale, killing all 14 occupants. * September 14 – Austria – A bus carrying Hungarian tourists plunged off a mountain road near Frohnleiten, killing 13 people and injuring 33. * November 1 – Thailand – A bus collided with a motorcycle and hit a second bus northeast of Bangkok, killing 21 people and injuring 40. * December 18 – Italy – A bus carrying sailors from Aulla to Turin to watch a soccer match between A.C. Milan and Juventus F.C. skidded off an overpass near Genoa, killing 34 and injuring four.


1984

* June 11 – Venezuela – A bus carrying military cadets crashed into a bridge and caught fire, killing 33 people and injuring eight. * September 24 – India – A bus plunges into a gorge in Uttar Pradesh, killing 42 people and injuring 15. * December 24 – South Africa – A bus carrying contract workers from Cape Town crashed near Cradock, Eastern Cape killing 42 and injuring 25.


1985

* January 12 – South Korea – A bus going from Muju County to Daejeon plunged into an icy river near Yeongdong County, killing 40 of the 41 people on board. Passenger Kang Yu-il was the only survivor. * January 27 – Japan – A bus carrying students and professors from Japan Welfare University skidded off a road near Nagano (city), Nagano and plunged into a dam, killing 25 and injuring eight. * February 11 – Germany – Langenbruck bus crash. A bus carrying members of the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
band collided with a fuel tanker near Langenbruck, killing 21 and injuring 22. * March 27 – South Africa – Westdene dam disaster – A school bus crashed through a barrier in Westdene, Johannesburg, Westdene, Gauteng, and plunged into a dam, killing 42 school children. * June 11 – Israel – A bus carrying school children on a field trip collided with a train near Moshav HaBonim, Israel, Habonim, killing 21 people, including 19 children. * September 22 – Pakistan – A school bus rolls over in Layyah, killing 30 children. * October 21 – United Kingdom – A coach collided with stationary traffic due to construction work on the M6 motorway in Lancashire, between City of Preston, Lancashire, Preston and Lancaster, Lancashire, Lancaster, killing 13 people. * November 5 – Italy – A bus carrying mostly students and workers from Leonforte to Catania skidded off a bridge, killing 15 and injuring six.


1986

* May 23 – Philippines – A bus falls off a cliff and explodes in Antique Province, killing 23 people and injuring 15. * May 30 – United States – A tour bus plunges into the West Walker River near Walker, Mono County, California, killing 21 people and injuring 19. * July 26 – United Kingdom – Lockington rail crash. A train derails after colliding with a Ford Escort (Europe), Ford Escort at a rail crossing in Lockington, East Riding of Yorkshire, Lockington, Yorkshire, England, killing 8 people aboard the train and one aboard the car. * September 27 – Sweden – Metallica's bus skids off the road, Cliff Burton#Death, killing Cliff Burton.


1987

* March 29 – China – A bus plunges off a cliff in Shaanxi, killing 19 people and injuring 28. * July 3 – Spain – A bus carrying elderly vacationers skidded off a highway and fell into a ravine near Ourense, killing 34 and injuring 11. * July 4 – Portugal – A bus carrying tourists skidded into a house near Covilhã, killing 15 and injuring at least 30. * November 17 – Spain – A bus carrying workers to Madrid overturned near Toledo, Spain, Toledo, killing at least 10 and injuring 37. * December 11 – Egypt – A bus carrying local primary school children returning from the Giza Zoo was smashed by a fast-speed train at an unmarked railroad level crossing at Ein Sham, on the outskirts of Cairo, killing 62 children and injuring 67.


1988

* March 25 – Spain – An express train hit a nursery bus near Juneda, Catalonia, killing 15, including 12 children. * April 1 – South Korea – A bus plunged into the Hangang river in Seoul after a tire blew out, killing 18 and injuring 36. * May 14 – United States – Carrollton bus collision. 27 people die near Carrollton, Kentucky, after a collision with a drunk driver driving the wrong way on Interstate 71. It remains the deadliest drunk driving crash in American history. * August 12 – Iran – Two buses collide on the highway between Tehran and Tabriz in northern Iran, killing 30 people and injuring 50. * August 15 – Norway – Måbødalen bus accident. 16 people, including 12 children, die when a bus rams into a concrete wall in a tunnel east of Bergen. * February 21 – India – A bus falls into a ravine near Shimla, killing 35 people. * October 12 – China – A bus ignites after toppling into a ditch in Shaanxi, killing 43 people and injuring 40. * December 23 – United States – Memphis tanker truck disaster. A tank truck hauling liquefied propane crashed in Memphis, Tennessee, killing 9, injuring 10, and starting multiple vehicle and structure fires.


1989

* July 16 – Japan – A landslide caused by intense rain collapsed a tunnel in Echizen, Fukui, striking a minibus and killing 15 people. * September 21 – United States – Alton, Texas bus crash – A truck hit a school bus in Alton, Texas, and the bus fell into a caliche pit filled with water killing 21 students. * September 22 – Yugoslavia – At the level crossing in Pojatno, a passenger train on the Zagreb-Varaždin route, travelling at a speed of 80 kph (49.7 mph) ran into one of three buses. They were carrying 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade students from the elementary school "Ante Kovačić" from Marija Gorica on an excursion to Stubičke Toplice. As a result of the accident, 14 students died. * October 8 – Canada – 1989 Cormier-Village hayride accident, Cormier-Village Hayride Accident. 13 people were killed and 30 were injured near Shediac when a transport truck carrying logs spilled its cargo while passing a loaded hayride. * October 20 – Australia – Grafton bus crash – A Sydney-Brisbane Sunliner Coaches tourist bus collided head-on with a tractor trailer truck near Grafton, New South Wales, killing 21 people and injuring 22. * December 22 – Australia – Kempsey bus crash. 35 people were killed on the Pacific Highway (Australia), Pacific Highway near Kempsey, New South Wales when two Denning Leedster coaches collided head-on.


1990s


1990

* March 20 – United States – Whilst on tour, a semi trailer rammed into a sleeper bus, tour bus containing singer Gloria Estefan, husband Emilio Estefan, Emilio, their son and three other passengers in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, severely injuring Gloria. Following extensive surgery, she returned to an international tour ten months after the crash. * April 22 – Cuba – Two buses collided in Havana, killing 11 people and injuring 13. * June 3 – France – Joigny coach crash. A Shropshire based double-decker bus, double-decker coach bus suffered a blowout of the front tyre on the autoroute A6 autoroute (France), A6 near Auxerre when it was 20 mph in excess of the speed limit. This caused it to crash, killing 11 people and injuring 61 British tourists, all returning from Costa Brava. This resulted in a legal action against Avon Rubber, manufacturer of the tyre of the crash coach, its driver and his employer; resulting in the longest legal case in France. * July 8 – Soviet Union – A bus ignored a barrier at a railroad crossing and collided with a passenger train near Petrozavodsk, Karelia, Russian SFSR, killing 27 people (34 according to unofficial sources) and injuring 24. * September 24 – Thailand – A truck carrying two unsecured 20,000-liter liquefied petroleum gas tanks overturned on New Phetchaburi Road, downtown Bangkok. The explosions and resulting fires consumed 43 vehicles and many buildings in the area, killing 59 people and injuring 89. * November 4 – South Korea – A bus carrying classmates of former President Chun Doo-hwan crashed into a reservoir near Inje after colliding with a truck, killing at least 21 people and injuring 20. * November 5 – Italy – A bus carrying elderly vacationers from Arenzano to Gravellona Toce skidded off a bridge near Ovada, killing 30 occupants and injuring many others. * November 9 – Netherlands – In sudden dense fog on the A16 motorway (Netherlands), A16 motorway west of Breda, several cars and trucks collide in a huge pile-up. 10 people were killed and 28 injured. * December 11 – United States – 1990 Interstate 75 fog disaster, Interstate 75 fog disaster. A 99 car pile-up due to fog on Interstate 75 near Calhoun, Tennessee resulted in 12 deaths and 42 injuries.


1991

* February 15 – Thailand – A trailer truck carrying dynamite explodes at Thung Maphrao, Phang Nga killing 171 local villagers. * March 13 – United Kingdom – 1991 M4 motorway crash, M4 motorway crash. 10 people died in a 45 vehicle pile up in foggy conditions on the M4 motorway near Hungerford. * July 31 – United States – A bus carrying about 60 Girl Scouts overturned on a desert mountain road near California State Route 111, California Highway 111, not far from Palm Springs, California, Palm Springs, killing 7 people. * August 4 – Zimbabwe – Nyanga bus accident. A crowded bus carrying school children from Regina Coeli Mission in Nyanga loses control and crashes in Troutbeck, Manicaland, killing 91 people, including 82 children. * August 7 – Austria – The brakes of a Hungarian tourist bus fail in Styria, killing 15 people and injuring 28. * November 29 – United States – 1991 Interstate 5 dust storm, Interstate 5 dust storm. A dust storm on Interstate 5 near Coalinga, California triggers a 164-vehicle pile up that leaves 17 people dead and 150 injured.


1992

* August 19 – Spain – A bus carrying visitors from Barcelona to Seville Expo '92 falls down an embankment on the Autopista AP-7, A7 highway near Torreblanca, killing 45 and injuring 11. * September 6 – Germany – Near Donaueschingen in the Black Forest, a bus collides into a passenger car and is slit open by a crash barrier, killing 21 people and injuring 32.


1993

* January 4 – Mexico – A tour bus carrying mostly American tourists from Cancún to Chichen Itza crashed into a utility pole and caught fire, killing at least 24 passengers and injuring 23. * January 9 – Argentina – Three buses collide and ignite on a highway in Santo Tomé, Corrientes, killing 55 people and injuring 70. * April 7 – Bulgaria – At least 29 people were killed and 18 injured when a Turkish coach fell from a bridge into the Yantra (river), Yantra river near Byala, after colliding with a lorry. Another heavy Turkish lorry slammed into a crane set up on the bridge to lift the wreckage out of the water. * July 17 – Canada – A minibus carrying senior citizens from Verchères, Quebec on a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Anthony of Padua near La Bouchette collided with a pick-up truck near Lac Saint-Jean, killing 19 people. * November 10 – France – A pile-up on autoroute A10 autoroute, A10 near Mirambeau, Charente-Maritime, Mirambeau leaves 15 people dead and 53 injured. * November 10 – United Kingdom – A bus carrying Canadian and American tourists collided with a van and skidded off the M2 Motorway near Faversham killing 10 and injuring 36. * November 17 – United Kingdom – M40 minibus crash. A crash left 12 children dead when their minibus collided with a maintenance vehicle near Warwick, England, causing new road security campaigns.


1994

* January 9 - Indonesia – A bus carrying French tourists on the island of Bali plunged into a ravine after trying to avoid another vehicle, killing 10 people and injuring 19. * May 2 – Poland – Poland bus disaster of 1994. 32 people died in a collision between a Przedsiębiorstwo Komunikacji Samochodowej, PKS transport agency bus and a tree near Gdańsk.


1995

* January 3 - Philippines – An overloaded bus missed a bridge and fell off a ravine in Echague, Isabela, killing at least 31 people and injuring 36. * March 12 – India – A truck carrying benzene rammed a bus outside Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, killing 110 people. * May 22 – United Kingdom – A bus carrying veterans from Christchurch, Dorset, Christchurch on a day trip to a brewery in Cardiff veered off the M4 motorway and plunged into a river near Bristol, killing 10 and injuring 20. * June 16 – Spain – A bus carrying pensioners collided with a truck and a car near La Ràpita, killing 11 people and injuring 25. * July 10 – France – A bus carrying mostly Spanish students from Amsterdam to Barcelona slammed into a road barrier near Roquemaure, Gard, killing 22 people and injuring 31. * October 25 – United States – 1995 Fox River Grove bus–train collision, Fox River Grove bus–train collision. A train collided with a school bus at a grade crossing in Fox River Grove, Illinois, killing 7 children and injuring 21.


1996

* February 10 – Japan – A huge shard of rock weighing about 21,000 tons smashed through Toyohama tunnel, national highway route 229, Yoichi, Hokkaido, crushing a Shakotan, Hokkaido, Shakotan-Otaru regular route bus and a car, killing 20 people. * February 25 – Bolivia – Two buses collide head-on near La Paz, killing at least 35 people. * February 28 – Spain – A charter bus collides with a car near Bailén, Bailen, killing 29 people and injuring 17. * September 29 – Japan – A minivan carrying construction workers crashed on national highway route 9, Muraoka, Hyōgo, killing 10 people.


1997

* January 14 – Egypt – A crowded city bus plunged into the Nile in Cairo, killing 39 people and injuring 24. * January 19 – India – A bus plunged into a river after losing control on a curvy road in Punjab (India), Punjab, killing 29 people and injuring 12. * March 10 – United Kingdom – 1997 M42 motorway crash, M42 motorway crash. 3 people were killed and 60 injured in a 160 vehicle collision on the M42 motorway due to fog. * May 8 – India – 70 people heading to a wedding were killed when a truck plunged into a gorge in Hamirpur district, Himachal Pradesh, Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh. * July 15 – Spain – A bus carrying Japanese tourists crashed into another vehicle and caught fire near Toledo, killing 10 and injuring four. * August 31 – France – Death of Diana, Princess of Wales. Diana, Princess of Wales died from injuries she sustained in a car crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris. Dodi Fayed and Henri Paul were also killed in the crash, with Trevor Rees-Jones (bodyguard), Trevor Rees-Jones being severely injured. * October 13 – Canada – 1997 Les Éboulements bus accident, Les Éboulements bus accident. In Quebec, 44 people were killed when a bus plunged into a ravine, the worst bus crash in Canadian history. * November 6 – Cuba – A passenger train crashes into a bus in Holguín Province, killing at least 56 people. * November 27 – India – At least 34 people drowned when their bus fell into a canal in Karnataka. * December 8 – Rwanda – 22 people were killed when a lorry collided with a minibus.


1998

* January 2 – India – Six people were killed and two others were seriously injured when a bus and a jeep collided in Rajasthan. * January 5 – Zimbabwe – 43 people were killed and more than 60 seriously injured when a bus plunged down a steep slope in Nyanga, Zimbabwe, Nyanga after the brakes failed. * January 7 – Kenya – A Meru, Kenya, Meru-Nairobi Kenyan Bus Service regular route bus lost control of the vehicle and plummeted down embankment into Nithi river, killing 58 people and injuring 42. * February 28 – India – 20 people died and 41 were injured when a school bus collided with a city bus at Ariapatti Vilakku, near Valandu in Tamil Nadu. * March 9 – Saudi Arabia – At least 16 people were killed and six missing after their bus plunged into a flooded river. * April 15 – South Africa – A school bus was involved in a five-vehicle collision near Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, killing 31 people, including 27 children. * April 26 – Spain – At least 10 people were killed in bus crash in Province of Alicante. * May 5 – Tanzania – At least 72 people drowned when the bus they were travelling in was swept into a river in Tanga Region. * July 15 – India – At least 45 people were killed when a bus plunged into a river in Arunachal Pradesh. * July 26 – South Africa – At least 19 people were killed and 60 injured near Zeerust when a bus collided with a truck on a sharp bend and overturned. * August 12 – Montenegro – A bus crashed down a ravine and killed at least 18 people. * August 26 – India – At least 17 people were killed when a bus hit a tractor trailer in Uttar Pradesh. * August 30 – Nepal – At least 21 people were killed when a bus they were travelling in left the road and crashed down a hillside. * September 8 – Brazil – A tanker truck flipped and exploded on a highway north of São Paulo, setting fire to two buses and killing at least 50 people. * September 20 – Turkmenistan – About 40 people were killed in a bus-train collision. * September 27 – Peru – At least 23 people died and 18 were injured when a bus fell off a cliff near the southern town of Mayoc. * November 11 – India – At least 40 people were killed when a bus plunged down a mountain gorge in Arunachal Pradesh. * December 14 – India – At least 19 people were killed and 35 were injured when a bus fell into a gorge in the Pithoragarh district. * December 23 – South Africa – At least 21 people killed when a bus collided with a large truck. * December 25 – India – At least 19 people were killed in Andhra Pradesh when a bus crashed into a train. * December 31 – United States – 100 cars crashed on an ice-slicked section of Interstate 75 in central Michigan, killing one and injuring 39.


1999

* January 9 – Georgia – A bus carrying funeral mourners ran off the road and plunged into a river below an outskirt of Stepantsminda, Khevi, killing 38 people. * January 21 – Philippines – At least 22 were killed when a bus fell into a ravine near Baguio. * January 24 – Austria – 1999 Deutschlandsberg bus crash, Deutschlandsberg bus crash. A bus carrying Hungarian skiers plunged off a hillside on the outskirts of Deutschlandsberg, Styria, killing 18 people and injuring 32. * January 31 – South Africa – At least 31 people were killed in KwaZulu-Natal when a bus plunged off a bridge between Kokstad and Johannesburg. * February 26 – Sweden – A minibus east of Karlskoga got stuck on a truck, was dragged along the road and caught fire. Seven children and two teachers were killed. * March 15 – United States – 1999 Bourbonnais, Illinois, train crash, Bourbonnais, Illinois, train crash. A City of New Orleans (train), City of New Orleans train collided with a truck and derailed in Bourbonnais, Illinois, killing 11 people. * March 24 – France and Italy – Mont Blanc tunnel fire. 39 people were killed in a tunnel fire between France and Italy. * April 30 – Greece – A small vehicle collided with a stopped tanker truck loaded with propane and started a fire near Kamena Vourla, Kamena Vourla, Fthiotis. A huge explosion followed several minutes later killing five people and injuring 14. * May 9 – United States – A tour bus crashed into a concrete wall on Interstate 610 (Louisiana), Interstate 610 in New Orleans, killing 22 people and injuring 24. * May 29 – Austria – 12 people were killed and 50 were injured in a collision and fire in Tauern Road Tunnel#1999 fire, Tauern Tunnel. * June 6 – Kenya – At least eight people died after a bus burst a tyre and overturned in Naivasha on the main Nairobi to Nakuru highway. In another crash 12 were killed when a bus collided with another vehicle. * June 8 – India – At least 94 people were killed, including 11 children, after a bus plunged into a lake in Karnataka. * July 18 – India – A Kiari-Shimla HRTC regular route bus carrying 90 passengers plunged into a deep gorge on the outskirts of Baghar, Himachal Pradesh, killing 18 people and injuring 55. * July 24 – Canada – A trailer truck crashed into cars slowed by Roadworks, roadwork on Quebec Autoroute 20 near Saint-Michel-de-Bellechasse, killing four people and injuring 11. A public investigation is launched. * September 3 – Canada – 1999 Ontario Highway 401 crash, Ontario Highway 401 crash. Dense fog on Ontario Highway 401, Highway 401 near Windsor, Ontario reduced visibility to less than a meter and caused an 87-vehicle pileup and fire that killed eight people and injured 33. Many vehicles were fused together by the intense heat. * September 16 – Peru – Two road crashes involving buses killed at least 16 people and injured 48 others. * September 19 – Spain – At least 20 people died in a bus crash near Zaragoza. * September 22 – South Africa – At least 11 people were killed in a head-on collision between a bus and a truck. * September 28 – South Africa – A bus carrying British tourists crashed near Lydenburg after its brakes failed, killing 29 and injuring seven. * October 4 – South Africa – At least 19 people were killed and 47 seriously injured after a bus crashed down a river embankment. * October 5 – Indonesia – At least 45 people were killed in a bus crash in West Java between Jakarta and Bandung. * October 9 – Israel – A tourbus in Galilee hit a slick spot on the road, rolled downhill and killed 17 people. * October 25 – India – A bus swerved to avoid hitting a cow and skidded off a mountain road into a deep gorge, killing 27 people and injuring 47 on the way home from a temple in Hoshiarpur district, northeast of Amritsar. * November 7 – India – At least 50 people were killed in a bus crash in Jammu and Kashmir (state), Jammu and Kashmir.


See also

*List of bridge failures *List of level crossing accidents *Lists of rail accidents includes level crossing crashes *Multiple-vehicle collision


References


External links


Early Auto Accidents
Photos of Auto Accidents from the 1920s to 1950s


Descansos.org :: Project to create awareness of victims of vehicular fatalities.


{{DEFAULTSORT:List of traffic collisions Lists of road transport incidents Traffic collisions, * 20th-century road incidents, *