Bus driver who hit 9 News van during news conference fired

CINCINNATI - The bus driver who struck a 9 News van during a live news conference on the collapse at the Horseshoe Casino in Cincinnati has been fired.

Lakefront Lines confirmed Thursday that Joann Cole-Searles no longer works for the company.

Searles was the driver of the GoBus that clipped the van during live coverage of a news conference on the casino collapse on Jan. 27, just outside the construction site of the new casino on Gilbert Avenue. She honked several times then backed the bus up, got out and forced the conference to move.

"If this group of people would have moved out of my way I would not have ran into this truck," said Searles. "We still have a job to do, and I understand you all got a job to do, but I still got a job to do, I got passengers on this bus."

Police cited Searles, saying she improperly changed course when she tried to pull into the Greyhound station, where the conference was being held. She is fighting the citation and a hearing in the matter has been set for March 12. The 9 News van was parked legally.

Lakefront Lines would not comment further on the matter.

Searles could not be reached for comment