Bus driver in fatal Bronx crash indicted

Prosecutors said Thursday they had charged the driver of a tour bus sliced end-to-end by a pole in a horrific March crash in the Bronx that killed 15 people returning from a Connecticut gambling trip because he knew he was sleep-deprived and chose to drive recklessly.

Ophadell Williams was charged in the Bronx State Supreme Court with 15 counts of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. He also was charged with reckless driving and assault related to 15 other injured passengers. He pleaded not guilty and was held on $250,000 bail.

Wearing a blue T-shirt and blue shorts, Williams looked upset when he arrived in handcuffs in court. The only words he spoke were a barely audible "not guilty." His wife did not speak to reporters.

The World Wide Travel bus ran off I-95 at daybreak on March 12 as it was returning to Chinatown from an overnight casino trip.

The crash killed 15 of the 32 passengers, mostly Chinese men and women. A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board said the bus veered to the right, crossed the shoulder, hit a barrier and traveled 480 feet as it fell over. It slid into a vertical sign support that sheared through the bus.

Williams has said his bus was clipped by a tractor-trailer, causing him to swerve and crash. Prosecutor Gary Weil said Williams' explanation wasn't plausible.

Weil said based on the evidence from their investigation, Williams passed four or five rest stops where he could have gotten coffee or caffeinated soda to help stay alert.

Attorney Steven Feener, who was representing Williams for the arraignment only, said Williams' claim that the bus was sideswiped is "an entirely plausible explanation."