One Person Dies While Riding on Party Bus Going To Santa Cruz

On July 27, 2012 a party bus traveling on highway 17 going to Santa Cruz was the scene of a accident. The bus was carrying Natasha Noland and fellow passenger’s home to Santa Cruz. A fight broke out between the 25-year-old Noland and a 20-year-old woman from Felton. 

Natasha Noland some how toppled out of the door of the moving bus and died. According to California Highway Patrol they had a hard time questioning the passengers, because everyone except the driver was drunk. Noland's boyfriend, Bryan Jeffrey Larson, 33, of Santa Cruz was arrested after he kicked an officer several times and kicked out the window of a patrol car. Along with Larson, Hunter John Richardson, 19, of Santa Cruz, was arrested on charges of public intoxication and obstructing officers. Officers seized the black, 1998 Ford bus and plan to contact the 12 to 15 people believed to have been on board. Several passengers fled the scene some were suspected of being underage drinkers. The authorities are still trying to piece together what happened. Two years ago teenager Brett Studebaker was killed on Highway 101 near San Mateo in a car crash after leaving a party bus, after a night of heavy drinking. Assemblyman Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, describes party buses as "Booze cruises, a party on wheels." He has authored a bill to rein in the party bus companies and make them assume responsibility for their passengers, including minors drinking on board. Party Buses have become very popular in the Bay Area cities. They shuttle teenagers and adults to hot spots, nightclubs and bars in big-cities. Some buses cater to bachelor or birthday parties while others bring together strangers for a pub crawl or ride to a concert. These party bus riders have become more rowdy. The City of Walnut Creek has made it known that party buses are not welcome in their town. The residents of Campbell have blamed the rowdiness of their new downtown partly on the party bus. In San Francisco a North Beach Club called Monroe is no longer permitting patrons from party buses to come inside. The owner Nader Marvi told KTVU. "I know of incidents where there is, let's say, 25, 30 guys who come into the club to cause problems. Security gets involved, and the security is outnumbered. They start beating up on security guards."

I think there should be employees from the party bus company on board to make sure things don’t get out of hand. If it does than the party bus company should have the right to return the patrons back to where they started without them knowing. This should be in every party bus company contract. It was a sad situation what happened to Natasha Noland. It is not surprising something like this was bound to happen. Put a bunch of drunken idiots together, who have been partying all night is a recipe for disaster. I don’t think it’s the party bus that is the problem. It is the people who choose to get out of hand. The bill Assemblyman Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo is trying to get passed I think will help the party bus companies adhere to a better and safe practice. Not just make it about the money they generate.

LM

http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_21195152/party-buses-hidden-world-drinking-parties-and-debauchery?nstrack=sid:12103806|met:300|cat:0|order:3

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/07/party-buses-san-francisco-opposition_n_1498220.html