Driver in tour bus crash that killed 13 found fans among gamblers but amassed checkered safety ...

[TexasTowelie]

Driver in tour bus crash that killed 13 found fans among gamblers but amassed checkered safety record

Those who boarded the white tour bus on a Koreatown corner looked forward to seeing Teodulo Elias Vides and escaping on one of his casino trips.

Vides, both bus owner and driver, would stand on the sidewalk where Olympic Boulevard crosses Vermont Avenue, greeting regulars. He doled out friendly advice, such as making sure to eat before placing bets that could leave you empty-handed. He was unfazed when someone couldn’t afford the trip on his USA Holiday bus. Pay me later from your winnings, he would say.

“He was always friendly, always jovial,” said Maggie Monterroso, who began traveling to casinos on Vides’ bus nearly a decade ago. “He cared a lot about us.”

On Sunday, Vides and 12 of his passengers died when his bus collided with a big rig on the 10 Freeway as he drove his guests back to Los Angeles after a night of gambling at a casino near the Salton Sea.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-ln-bus-crash-owner-20161024-snap-story.html

[zonkers]

1. Sad story. Wonder if he had a medical emergency.