45-years ago today, 28 students and one teacher from the Yuba City High School choir died after their bus crashed and fell 30 feet to the ground on the Marina Vista offramp on southbound Interstate-680 in Martinez.
The driver apparently lost control of the bus and crashed while negotiating a sharp turn on the offramp shortly after the bus’ brakes failed.
The crash remains the deadliest bus crash in the history of the United States.
A memorial ceremony was held today in Martinez to mark the anniversary of the tragedy.
28 comments
I was in high school in SoCal when that happened. It was shocking and on the news for months, A tragic loss of life.
I had never heard of Contra Costa County nor Martinez. Little did I know I would be living in Contra Costa 4 1/2 years later.
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Terrible accident… god bless their soul. I knew one the responding officers on scene. Something they will never forget. God bless the families of those lost
I remember the day exactly! Where I was and what I was doing when I heard the news on the radio. Can’t believe it’s 45 years ago!
Such a tragedy! Imagine letting your child go off on a school tour, only to never see them again. We should hug our kids today, especially.
I remember it so well. I lived closeby. It was such an unbelievable, sad, horrible tragedy. I think of it often when I pass that exit. All those young, wonderful people coming home from a choir performance I believe. I cannot imagine the heartbreak. Rest In Peace all.
They were from Yuba City High School coming down here for a performance. The bus driver wasnt a regular bus driver and they stopped several times on their way down. This is why school buses now have a dual air brake system.
All vehicles equipped with air brakes have a dual system, just like vehicles with hydraulic brakes.
I remember it, too.
I was on my way back from Yuba City myself, that day.
The Marina Vista crash is the deadliest school bus crash in the history of the United States.
The deadliest crash involving a bus killed 32 migrant farmworkers in 1963 outside of Chualar in the Salinas Valley.
I remember this to well. I was in choir at Mt Diablo. We were all so devastated, we held a fund raiser for the family’s. It was such a tragedy!! I always walk to the memorial monument at the Martinez Marina when I’m there and say a little prayer for them. Absolutely heartbreaking!! Hugs today for their family’s.
I also remember an interview, I believe Pete Jensen on channel 7 interviewing one of the survivors asking, was there a lot of screaming? Cannel 7 never again
Bill Shinn who was a long time City Councilmember who I replaced when he retired from the Council in 2012, was the first Deputy Sherrif to arrive on the scene.
Where is the location of this again? Is this northbound or southbound on 680 at the off ramp? The Marina Vista offramp going northbound is on ground level.
This accident was on the southbound 680 exit for Marina Vista.
I was on my third year at the Concord PO when this happened. I was on the loading dock unloading a trailer when we heard a lot of siren noise. You could see the freeway then before car dealers and Standard Oil building were in the way……
Many emergency vehicles were heading that direction. Then we heard the news on the radio.
Very sad day.
I too remember all to clearly that day sitting in class when the news arrived at Yuba City High. We sat in stunned silence and shock as the terrible news raced through the school. Classes were cancelled and we all went to the quad to take pause and stand in a moment of remembrance of everyone we knew on the busses. Praying for those who had died, and those who survived. We all lost a part of our childhood friends and family on that bright spring day. May they rest in peace.
I don’t remember this at all. I moved to California in December of 1974. My ex and I lived in the City until we bought a house in Marinwood the spring of 1976 if I remember correctly. We certainly watched the local news, but I have no recollection of this tragedy. I remember when the plane crashed into SunValley Mall, and I remember the school bus that was kidnapped and found in Coalinga I believe all the kids were already. I also remember when Steven Stayner surfaced 7 years after being kidnapped.
I was trained to be a school bus driver down in SoCal back in 1979. Had never heard of Martinez before. We spent a lot of time going over this accident. Imagine my surprise when I got a job in Martinez and drove on that very overpass. I still remember the bottom line lesson. If your brakes are malfunctioning or the vehicle is difficult to steer in any way, pull over to the side of the road. Don’t try the exit.
Still no requirements for seatbelts on school buses.
Off ramp was redesigned. Over heated brakes was to blame.
No, Scott, the brakes did not overheat. The air brake system on the bus failed because the air compressor belt broke and there was no more air in the primary air tank to operate the brakes. Driver did not realize he had no brakes until he was beyond the point of no return on the off ramp.
I thought air pressure keeps brakes from engaging and lack of air pressure locks the brakes.
That was a sad day.
@Glen,
You are correct. Spring brakes will begin to apply at about 45psi.
@ Skyscraper
All school buses and Class A vehicles have an alarm (even back then) which sounds if air pressure or vacuum goes below a set minimum. The driver knew there was a problem and chose to take the exit instead of coasting to a stop. The driver may or may not have pumped the brakes, which would have been yet another mistake. As I stated above, this accident became the focus of a lot of training for bus drivers. It might still be used today, for all I know.
I remember that tragic day so well. Crossing that bridge, even now, seeing that sign still gives me chills. My kids were little then. I never let them ride in a bus. Years later we moved to Concord. My kids attended Pine Hollow. One child was in band. I declined to let my child go on a class bus trip because of that bus crash. Teacher gave my child an F grade because I wouldn’t allow my child to ride on a bus with a strange driver and no safety features whatsoever.
Good work mate was an EMT, and the first group to respond.
It horrifies him to this day. And he’s not easily shaken. He only talked about it once, and got emotional. The guy was an emotional rock, too.
Terrible accident.
Below is the memorial web site created by survivor Tom Randolph.
http://concordandtime.com/
The driver was not familiar with the off ramps and didn’t know it was a sharp hairpin. Even sharper than today, and with a narrower road and lower guardrail. I vaguely recall him also saying he pumped the brakes trying to slow down coming off the bridge. I was in HS, remember a senior cutting class to give blood that afternoon. The kids were my age…tragic.
Rather than speculate – here is the NTSB’s findings: “The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the failure of the driver, who was unfamiliar with the bus, to correctly monitor the service brake air pressure gauge, recognize the loss of air, and take appropriate action including application of the emergency airbrake.
Contributing to the accident were: (1) the failure of the air compressor drivebelt, (2) the failure of the maintenance program and pretrip inspection to detect and replace the deteriorated air compressor drivebelt, (3) the failure of the signing system to adequately alert the driver to the critical geometrics of the ramp, (4) the severe radius of the curvature of the ramp, (5) the design of the curb as part of the ramp railing, and (6) a bridge rail system that did not redirect the bus.”
Source: https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/HAR7702.aspx
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