Hearing Delayed For Queens Tour Bus Driver In Fatal Delaware Crash
WILMINGTON, Del. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A court commissioner has rescheduled a preliminary hearing for the driver in a fatal Delaware tour bus crash after the man, who speaks little English, couldn't answer simple questions at a court appearance.
Fifty-six-year-old Jinli Zhao of Flushing, Queens is charged with two counts of operating a vehicle causing the death of another person in last month's crash.
Besides not being able to answer questions, Zhao also appeared Wednesday without a lawyer. A prosecutor said he had spoken by phone with a New York lawyer who intends to represent Zhao, but the lawyer has not filed papers to appear in Delaware.
Through a friend acting as an interpreter, Zhao asked for a month's delay and was granted a Nov. 5 hearing.
The crash happened around 4:20 p.m on Sept. 21 in New Castle, south of Wilmington.
The 1996 Setra Touring Coach bus was going through a curve when it left the road and overturned, police said. The bus slid on its roof down a grass embankment and came to rest on its left side, police said.
Hua'y Chen, a 54-year-old woman from New York City, was found under the bus and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Idil Bahsi, a 30-year-old woman from Istanbul, Turkey, was taken to a hospital and later died.
The other passengers were taken to area hospitals for injuries varying in severity.
Police last week said Zhao lost control of the bus as he tried to negotiate a moderate curve at too fast of a speed. The speed was determined to be a contributing factor in the cause of the two deaths, police said.
The passengers were taking a three-day sightseeing tour to Washington that began in New York, authorities said. The crash happened as the bus was heading back to New York City.
Jerry Zhang, a tour guide for the company that hired the bus, said he has worked with Zhao several times.
"He is a very experienced driver, senior driver," Zhang said last week. "And he drive about more than like 20 years. But I don't know what happened to him."
Drugs and alcohol were not considered a factor in the crash, police said.
After the crash, Zhao was treated at from St. Francis Hospital in Wilmington and was released into state police custody.
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