Bus driver tried The driver of a minibus that swerved to avoid a vehicle in front of it and ran into a ditch, injuring 18 Japanese tourists aboard, had never been in an accident before, the man's father said.
to avert crash,
his dad says
The driver remains hospitalized
with 6 others injured in
the Hilo accidentBy B.J. Reyes
breyes@starbulletin.comSean Benito, 29, had worked for Hilo-based Jack's Tours for about three years and had a clean driving record, said his father, Clarence Benito.
Benito said he visited his son yesterday at Hilo Medical Center.
"All he said he remembered is, everybody stopped at one time," the elder Benito said. "He swerved to go on the side, and the bus slipped into the ditch."
Seven people remained hospitalized from Friday's accident, officials said.
Benito, who suffered a broken ankle, and two of the Japanese tourists hospitalized at Hilo Medical Center were expected to be released in two to three days, a nursing supervisor said. All three were listed in stable condition yesterday, said the supervisor, who would not give her name.
Four others, including a 76-year-old man listed in critical condition, remained hospitalized at Queen's Medical Center, officials said.
Tsuneo Nishiyama, a spokesman for Japanese travel agency JTB Corp., said in Tokyo that in addition to the 76-year-old man, three other tourists had serious injuries, but they were not considered life-threatening.
The remaining tourists were treated and released Friday.
The 24-seat bus was headed toward Hawaii Volcanoes National Park when it went off the road shortly after noon on Friday about 20 miles from Hilo.
Fire officials said it was rainy and wet at the time of the accident.
Benito said his son told him there was a van in front of the bus and another car in front of the van that was traveling on Volcano Highway. "He said that he was following this van up the hill, and he didn't know there was a car in front of the van," Benito said. "He couldn't see the car in front of the van.
"(The car) did a complete stop, and the van in the back of her (stopped). ... (Sean) stopped and hit his brakes and kind of hydroplaned on the water."
None of the other drivers was injured. Puna police said their investigation into the accident was ongoing.
"We have to do some more interviews," Puna police officer Jefferson Grantz said.
Carol Miyashiro, president of Jack's Tours, did not return a telephone message seeking comment yesterday.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.