The State : Bus Driver Once Failed

The driver of a runaway commuter bus in San Francisco that killed three pedestrians when it plowed into a rush-hour crowd flunked a training program to become a city bus driver last year, according to officials. “He . . . washed out for poor road performance,” San Francisco Municipal Railway spokesman George Newkirk said of Salvador Orogo. Newkirk said Orogo, 53, failed the railway’s 35-day training program last spring after six to 10 days, noting that 90% of those who enter the program pass. “Most people who get washed out either can’t learn the rules of the road or they are just poor drivers,” he said. Meanwhile, San Francisco police have questioned Orogo’s claim that he took emergency action in an effort to stop the vehicle’s wild ride. Officer John Grizzel said a special accident task force will attempt to determine whether it was the inexperienced driver or a mechanical problem that caused the accident, which also injured 15 people.