Owner - Eric Rockmore

Driver - Ernest Carter

A Monster Named Eric Rockmore
November 21, 2005

Terrell, Texas. June 24, 2002. It was absolutely horific. A large tour bus slammed into a concrete pillar. The entire side of the bus was peeled away as if a giant can opener had been used. Children were strewn all over the roadway and median. Other children were crushed under bus seats, twisted metal and the bus itself. Additionaly, most were severely burned by battery acid and/or diesel fuel. Four youths were dead at the scene. Dozens had extreme injuries. Eric Rockmore, the owner of the bus company, upon his arrival to the carnage, told his companian, "There will be a huge lawsuit out of this!" He then ran away, too cowardly to help or face what happened.

We found this story particuarily disturbing, for more than just the obvious. These teens, who were all part of a Dallas church group on thier way to a retreat, were left with injuries that will stay with them the rest of thier lives. Some had permanent brain, spinal cord and leg injuries. Many were disfigured due to battery acid and diesel fuel. What we found to be so offensive, were the following:

  • It all could have been avoided if the owner of the tour company had followed state and federal regualations.
  • Seventeen teenagers end up with everything from life long severe brain to emotional injuries.
  • Four teenagers perished horribly.
  • The bus owner, Eric Rockmore, incredibly, refused to accpet any responsability, even trying to blame the teens themselves!
Ashley Pavelko, 14, faught to keep her head above the diesel fuel and burning battery acid. Both her hips were crushed and both legs were broken. She could not move.

Lindsay Kimmons, 16, struggled to breath. However, she quickly died. She was laying on top of DJ Perkins, 14, who was pinned by Kimmons and debris. He watched as Kimmons died above him. He was covered in her blood, brain matter and urine.

Dozens of other teens were permanently injured. Besides Kimmons, the others that died that day, were:

  • Amanda Maxwell, 13.
  • Michelle Chaney, 14.
  • Michael Freeman, 12.
  • Ernest Carter, 51. The bus driver.
Carter was not supposed to be driving that morning. Another, permanent emplyee of Rockmore's was scheduled to drive. She had over slept, called Rockmore and told him she would be there in 10 minutes. Instead, Rockmore angrily told her to stay home, and called Carter. Carter had never drove for Rockmore, nor had he been throught the required pre-employment process.

Carter was likely the first to die, on impact. Doctors at the hospital had a hard time locating enough blood to do a drug analysis. They ended up taking it from a pool in what was left of his chest. What was found was troubling. He had cocaine and valium in his system. It gets worse. At the scene, trooper find Carters log book. It showed that he had been up for about 20 hours, having just returned from another bus trip that morning (from Florida). Still it gets worse. Upon running a check on Carter, police find that he has several warrants out for his arrest, many traffic violations, he failed his last vision test and he had altered his medical card to add an additional year on to it.

Soon after the crash, Rockmore turned over a stack of documents to state troopers. These documents were supposed to be proof of the required state and federal regulations required by companies to perform upon new emplyees. Things such as valid drivers license, valid medial certificate, driver test and so on. What Rockmore presented the authorities were so obviously forged, it was laughable. Litteraly. Rockmore had apparently created all the documents after the crash. He claimed he even took Carter out on a driving test which would have happened during the time Carter was in Florida driving for another bus company. He also claimed he spent most of the weekend reviewing safety films with Carter, again during the time he was really in Florida.

Seventeen survivors sued Rockmore, the owner of Discovery Tours. They claimed that he failed to make sure a safe, responsable driver sat behind the wheel of the bus. Rockmore on the other hand, claims he has no responsability what so ever. None. Not his fault. In fact, it was more likely the kids fault. They must have distracted the driver. It might also have been a snake on the bus that scared the driver (honest, he did say that!). In any case, as far as Rockmore is concerned, none of this is his responsability. He even got on the stand during the trial, and said so. The plaintiff's were abloe to prove otherwise. It was determined that Carter had been up for more than 20 hours and was high on cocaine and valium. He simply fell asleep at the wheel.

Rockmore came off as a real puke. The jury thought so as well. They awarded the plaintiff's $68,916,590 in economic damages and pain and suffering. This guy is so incredibly offensive, we have awarded him four out of five OFP News Puke Awards.



- Michael Bowers
OFP News