Kansas Party Bus Company Told to Shut Down After Fatality

The federal government has ordered a company that operated a party bus to stop operating after a Kansas woman died when she fell out of the modified vehicle.

The U.S. Department of Transportation issued the order to Olathe, Kan.-based Midnight Express. In last week’s order, the department said the company’s owners showed appalling and egregious disregard for the safety of their passengers.

Twenty-six-year-old Jaime Frecks of Kansas City, Kan., died May 4 after an old wheelchair access door came open. She fell from the bus and was struck by at least three vehicles.

Inspectors also found problems with the brakes, engine exhaust leaks and that all four emergency exit windows were blocked.

The Kansas City Star reported a lawyer for the company’s owners would not comment on the report.