15th death in horrific Bronx bus crash

The death toll in the tragic Bronx bus crash climbed to 15 yesterday as investigators stepped up their probe.

National Transportation Safety Board Vice Chairman Christopher Hart said the agency had begun to analyze evidence from the accident, which claimed another victim yesterday, a 70-year-old man.

The bus, operated by World Wide Tours, left the Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville, Conn., early Saturday morning for Chinatown. The driver, Ophadell Williams, told cops that he was forced off the road by a tractor-trailer, but other witnesses have said the crash was unprovoked, fueling speculation that he had fallen asleep at the wheel.

The bus wreckage and a tractor-trailer will be examined for transfer marks to determine if there was contact between the vehicles.