License of NYC bus-crash driver suspended

• Tweet

NEW YORK, March 18 (UPI) -- The commercial license of the driver of a bus that crashed in New York City's Bronx borough, killing 15 people, has been suspended, authorities said.

Ophadell Williams is accused of using aliases to protect his commercial driver's license after previous incidents, the New York Daily News reported Friday.

The State Police and state Department of Transportation staged surprise inspections of 36 tour buses Thursday, taking 10 drivers off the road, mostly for logbook violations.

Williams' driving privileges were suspended in 1995 under the name Eric Williams, which he gave police in two stops, telling officers he did not have his license with him, a source told the newspaper.

Howard Glaser, a top aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, said the Department of Motor Vehicles reports "false statements" from Williams on his license status and whether he was trying to hide his aliases and prior suspension.

Williams, who lives in Brooklyn, initially said he lost control of the bus Saturday when it was sideswiped by a truck, but surviving passengers say he dozed off before it tipped over and skidded into a concrete overpass support.