A federal judge has ordered a bus company involved in an Arizona crash that killed six people and injured more than a dozen others to cease interstate operations.
U.S. District Judge George King of the Central District of California in Los Angeles issued the order Saturday against Tierra Santa Inc. and its owner, Cayetano Martinez.
Martinez earlier signed a consent decree prohibiting him or any affiliated company from hauling passengers without U.S. Department of Transportation authority, which is required to take passengers from one state to another.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration demanded Van Nuys, Calif.-based Tierra Santa stop operating Friday, the day of the crash south of Phoenix. The judge’s order makes the shutdown enforceable by the court.
"They knew they were running illegally,” Duane DeBruyne, a Department of Transportation spokesman in Washington, D.C., said Sunday.
A federal complaint to be filed against the company Monday says the motor carrier administration previously shut down Martinez, who then attempted "to reincarnate himself as a new carrier” that unsuccessfully sought Department of Transportation operating authority, the department said in a news release Sunday.
"Martinez has shown a persistency and determination to continue operating under new entities and businesses,” the release quotes the complaint as saying.
DeBruyne said further information from the complaint was not available because it had not been filed in court.
Thom Mrocek, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles, said the complaint will be filed Monday, but that the consent decree Martinez signed late Friday already settled it.
The lawsuit process allows the court to have jurisdiction, and "if there’s a violation, you could be brought into court,” Mrocek said Sunday.
Messages left by The Associated Press on Saturday and Sunday seeking comment from Tierra Santa were not returned.
The bus that crashed early Friday entered the United States from Mexico at El Paso, Texas.
It was headed to Phoenix to change drivers when it hit a pickup truck, veered onto the left shoulder of the road and rolled on Interstate 10 on the Gila River Indian Reservation. The impact crushed the roof and knocked out the windows.
More than a dozen passengers remained hospitalized over the weekend.
Tierra Santa applied last April for operating authority to haul passengers across state lines. The Department of Transportation notified the company by registered mail that it could not conduct interstate transportation during the review, DeBruyne said.
The agency sought more information for the application but the company never responded. In December, the department sent another certified letter telling the company it had run out of time and was not authorized to take passengers across state lines, DeBruyne said.
The consent decree does not prevent civil penalties against Martinez for possible violations of motor carrier safety regulations, transportation officials said.
———
On the Net:
Consent decree: http://www.dot.gov/affairs/Consent%20Decree.pdf
Judge’s order: http://www.dot.gov/affairs/Signed%20Order.pdf
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
Love & Hope & Magic: The Making of Jinx, the Musical,” is a documentary chronicling … Read morePremiere of Love & Hope & Magic: The Making of Jinx, The Musical
Join us for an unforgettable evening as we set sail into the world of luxury river cruising!… Read moreLegendary Rivers & Tours Expo
San Francisco Symphony players get together in an intimate setting of the Gradus Ad Parnassu… Read moreSoirée Française: Our Favorite Violin Sonatas
Planning your dream wedding? Discover everything you need at the Wedding Fair in the Park – … Read moreWedding Fair in the Park
Thomas Morgan said:
Dirk van Ulden said:
CA Is Burning said:
Rick Bonilla said:
Rick Bonilla said:
Linda, don’t mind these commenters (with the exception of Jorg) they live in a room full of mirrors and just can’t see outside.
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.