The Canadian tour bus that overturned in New Jersey on Saturday injuring almost two dozen people was not authorized to operate in the United States, federal regulators said Monday.
The Toronto-based bus company, AYM Max 2000 Charter Services, had a clean safety record but lacked necessary paperwork to operate in the U.S., according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
The company "does not have the authority to operate in the U.S. due to an unresolved lapse in its insurance coverage," the federal said in statement. "This compliance violation is one of the factors we will evaluate as part of our post-crash investigation of the carrier and driver."
The bus was carrying about 60 people bound for a New York City when it overturned on a highway exit on eastbound Interstate 80 in Wayne at 7:30 a.m. Saturday. The tour bus slid down an embankment and landed on its side, injuring 23 passengers, authorities said. As of Sunday, three people remained hospitalized from the crash.
The driver, who suffered a gash in his arm, told state police that he was cut off by another vehicle. It was not clear what caused the crash.
The tour bus company did not return calls for comment.
