Brief: Trial ends over casino shuttle

Thursday, Feb. 18, 1999 | 11:13 a.m.

The Commercial Appeal newspaper in Memphis, Tenn., reported Mississippi's Department of Public Safety and Department of Transportation claim immunity and the bus company asserts its driver did nothing wrong.

Circuit Judge John Hatcher is expected to issue a written opinion in the case in about six weeks.

A wreck on Dec. 13, 1993, killed driver Larry McBride and his passenger, James Matthew Johnson when they tried to outrace the casino shuttle driven by Albert V. Rush, The Commercial Appeal said.

Hatcher indicated he found little fault on the part of the bus driver, who worked for Classic Coach Inc. The firm's attorney said Rush couldn't avoid the crash and had the right-of-way as McBride appeared to slow down as he approached U.S. 61, then darted onto the highway.

Survivors sued the state because a stop sign had been knocked down in an accident almost 30 hours earlier. They said McBride did not stop because of the missing sign.

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