Bus Check at Six Flags Finds 2 in Violation

In their first bus-inspection program at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California Highway Patrol officers Friday discovered two potentially dangerous safety violations, one in a bus owned by the Hollywood YMCA that had carried 36 children to the amusement park.

Officers said that two U-bolts, which connect the front axle to one of the vehicle’s springs, were loose and could have freed the axle to slide back and forth, crippling the steering and causing a serious accident.

“If those bolts come loose from the front axle, it’s history,” said Sgt. Peter Mader, who led a team of CHP officers and state Public Utilities Commission inspectors. The investigators also checked for valid driver’s licenses and proof of vehicle insurance.

The YMCA driver was cited and told to tighten the bolts at a nearby service station before driving back to Hollywood. Driver Mark Yanaura said he had not been aware of any problems on the 1971 Ford bus.

Officers later cited the driver of a chartered Gray Lines bus. Inspectors found that three out of four brakes were inoperative or badly in need of readjustment, part of the steering mechanism was worn and the lug nuts holding the wheels in place were loose, Mader said. The driver was ordered not to move the bus until repairs were made.

Mader said the CHP plans to hold surprise safety checks at Magic Mountain on weekends, when more buses travel to the park.