ORLANDO, Fla. – A Lynx driver who was behind the wheel when a bus overturned on Interstate 4, injuring nine people, has been fired, according to officials from the Orange County mayor's office.
The crash happened Oct. 1 around 11:30 a.m. on I-4 at Orange Blossom Trail.
The driver, Steven Silva, told investigators he entered the left lane slightly due to a shift in the road and when he tried to reestablish his position, he overcorrected.
"As a result, he lost control of the vehicle and performed several hard turns to regain control of the vehicle. He was unable to regain control of the bus and the vehicle skidded into the concrete barrier located on the inside of the lane," a preliminary report from Lynx stated.
After the crash, the bus slid on its side across the concrete. Silva was driving between 52 mph and 56 mph in a 50 mph zone, records show.
Orlando Fire Department officials said nine patients were taken to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.
Employment records show Lynx hired Silva on April 1 and he went through eight weeks of training before he began driving on his own. On June 5, his bus's mirror hit another bus's mirror and on June 24, his bus made curbside contact with a stopped vehicle, according to Lynx.
Witnesses at the scene of the Oct. 1 crash said Silva was more concerned for his passengers than he was for himself.
"He was really concerned for his passengers and getting them out," a witness said.
Silva was taken off the road after the most recent crash. Lynx officials said Tuesday that Silva's termination was a probationary release.