GRAND CANYON, AZ — A deadly tour bus crash at the Grand Canyon that killed a 20-year-old woman and injured nearly all 56 passengers on board has resulted in a $6 million settlement, with body camera footage revealing the driver admitted to "blacking out" before the crash.
The August 2023 crash killed Landri Burgart, and eight people were so severely hurt they required air transport from the scene, according to the crash report. Surveillance video shows the tour bus veering off the road near the parking lot, hitting a ditch, rolling over, and smashing into three parked cars.
More than a dozen lawsuits were filed against the bus company American Transportation Systems and tour operator Comedy on Deck, claiming both companies were negligent. Both have now agreed to pay the $6 million total to dismiss all cases and avoid trial, according to court records.
Body camera video from the scene
Body camera footage from crash investigators shows the first recorded interview with bus driver Lucious Jones, who initially said he was "still in a little bit of shock."
"We went up in the air. We hit that drainage sewage pipe," Jones said in the footage. "When we hit that embankment front end of the bus went. I had no control over brakes or anything."
But in a later interview with crash investigators, Jones admitted.
"I think I blacked out for a minute," Jones said when an investigator asked him to explain how the collision occurred.
ABC15 is committed to finding the answers you need and holding those accountable.
Submit your news tip to Investigators@abc15.com
A 109-page crash report from the Arizona Department of Public Safety revealed critical findings. Investigators determined the driver "admitted to nodding off at the time of the collision" and "should not have been driving due to being over hours." The report also found "the bus should have been out of service" because of a bald tire that was not within regulation.
Photos from the crash scene support the report's findings about the tire's poor condition.
Officers arrested Jones after the crash on suspicion of manslaughter, but he was later released, and charges were not filed.
Survivors relive the crash
Kyan Tirschman and his family were among the survivors who filed suit. His mother, Angela Tirschman, described the traumatic scene to ABC15 in a previous interview.
"I just remember him looking at me and saying, ‘Oh my God, my leg.’ And I looked at it and, um, and it was bad," Angela Tirschman said, becoming emotional.
Kyan's leg was severely torn open in injuries too graphic to show.
"It could have been prevented, but it wasn't," Kyan Tirschman said.
For the Tirschman family, the crash remains unforgettable.
"Was, without a doubt, I think, the worst day of all of our lives," Angela Tirschman said.
Settlement next steps
A judge will soon decide how the $6 million settlement is divided among more than 50 survivors and the family of Burgart, who was killed in the crash.
An attorney for the Tirschman family said they believe the carrier was woefully underinsured, though their coverage met minimum standards.
Attorneys for the bus company, American Transportation Systems, and the driver declined requests for comment from ABC15 but said they respect the court's process. The tour operator's attorneys said: "Although Comedy on Deck had no responsibility for this tragic bus accident, it has sympathy for the injured and loved ones and wishes them well."
Have a tip for the ABC15 Investigators? Email Investigator Jennifer Kovaleski at jennifer.kovaleski@abc15.com.
