Officials: Driver gave false info to DMV

The driver of a tour bus that crashed in the Bronx, killing 15 passengers, gave false statements on driver's license applications, state officials said Thursday, adding that they are investigating whether he did it to hide a previous suspension using another name.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's office announced that information about Ophadell Williams' alleged false statements was being turned over to New York State Police and the state Inspector General's Office. Both agencies are investigating the crash, which happened Saturday on Interstate 95 in the Bronx. The state also suspended Williams' driving privileges.

"The information the DMV is referring for investigation includes driver license applications containing false statements about the status of his license and whether this was done to conceal the fact that he had been using multiple names and had a suspension under one of those names," Howard Glaser, the governor's director of state operations, said in the statement.

Law enforcement sources said this week that police cited Williams in 1995 for speeding, and twice for driving without a license. Williams gave police the name "Erik Williams" during one of the traffic stops.

Williams' driving privileges were revoked after he didn't resolve the moving violations, the sources said.

Peter Knudson, a spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board, said the board's investigation would "include an examination of Mr. Williams' driving history, including applications, records and licenses related to the operation of a motor vehicle."

Saturday, he told a state police investigation the bus swerved after being clipped by a tractor trailer. Police interviewed the driver of the tractor trailer and consider him a witness, not a suspect.