When we send our children to school, we trust that the adults who watch over them in our absence are looking out for their safety. But last week some Florida parents found out that was not the case when a school bus driver ran into the back of a tractor trailer.
The driver was dismissed from his duties on Friday when school officials reviewed a video of the accident that showed the driver was at fault.
According to an article on Bradenton.Patch.com, the video shows that just before the accident the driver was seen handing a piece of paper back to a student behind him. After passing the note, students on the bus screamed at him to watch out – warning him that he is about to crash.
Record taken by a GPS indicated that the bus was traveling at 34 mph. The crash pushed the bus firewall in and up against the brake pedal, not allowing it to fully engage. The force also pinned the bus driver’s legs beneath the steering wheel. The emergency brake and key to the bus were pushed in and between the driver’s legs, making it impossible for him to completely stop the bus. He was able to coast the bus along the shoulder of the road after the crash.
There were 26 students aboard the bus at the time of the accident, and 23 of those students were taken to area hospitals. School officials apologized for the accident and assured families that the school district would be responsible for paying the students’ medical bills.
We were glad to hear none of the children were seriously injured in this accident. We were also glad to hear that the school district is taking responsibility for the children’s hospital bills and has dismissed the driver. If you’re involved in an accident where you’ve been injured as a result of someone else’s driving, you may be eligible for compensation. Contact the accident attorneys at O’Connor Law for a free review of your case.