Driver in Baroness bus crash facing charges

John Baizley of Baroness at Union Transfer, Jan 2013 (more by Maclyn Bean)

The driver of a coach that plunged 30ft (9m) from a viaduct near Bath is to be charged with dangerous driving.

Norman Markus was driving the band Baroness in the coach after a Bristol gig at the time of the crash in August.

…German national Mr Markus, 39, also faces charges of using a vehicle with defective brakes and breaching a 7.5 tonne weight limit.
…Mr Markus is also facing charges of insufficient daily and weekly rest periods and using a vehicle in a condition likely to cause danger of injury.

He has also been charged with not having the correct licence entitlement to drive the coach involved in the crash.

He is due to appear before Bath Magistrates’ Court on 5 April. -[BBC]

In the months since the accident, John Baizley and the Baroness crew have recovered slowly but surely, and Baizley along with guitarist Pete Adams have ventured out to play some live gigs. Check out photos from their Philadelphia date with Neurosis at Invisible Oranges and a couple photos of John Baizley at the Decibel show.