BUS COMPANY IN STUDENT CRASH FINED

14 April 2000
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced yesterday (April 13) that the Blue and White Lines, Inc. Of Altoona that was involved in the fatal accident transporting Penn State students Nov. 21 has been fined $90,000 for violating federal safety regulations. Four charter buses crashed in the fog on Interstate 80 in Carbon County killing Penn State senior Denise Orndorff and bus driver Robert C. Burge and injuring more than 100 others, most of whom were students. Three of those buses belonged to the Blue and White Line and all were found to have safety violations. Since the accident, University Health Services has continued to provide medical care to students with injuries and the Center for Counseling and Psychological Services has held a number of group counseling sessions and several students continue to be seen by counselors on an individual basis. In addition a group of students and staff from the Schreyer Honors College and Residence Life are working on a landscaped memorial in Denise Orndorff’s memory and the Eberly College of Science awarded her a posthumous Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. She was an excellent student and the College felt she would have unquestionably fulfilled her two remaining course requirements.