School Bus Driver Crashes Bus Full of Kids in Gainesville, Florida
A bus driver for the Alachua County school system was driving a bus full of kids from school in Gainesville, Florida, lost control of the bus and crashed it into a tree, according to an article on www.News4Jax.com. Annie Ahmed was driving 41 kids on a bus on a wet, dirt road when she lost control and crashed the bus causing minor injuries to some of the kids. The article indicates that the bus driver was driving too fast for the wet conditions.
When there is an accident involving a school bus and children, there are additional issues that need to be explored above and beyond those in a more common car crash. Bus drivers must pay particular attention to their driving and drive safely at all times due to the fragile nature of the bus occupants and their vulnerability as buses do not typically have seat belts and do not have airbags to protect the children in a crash. Bus drivers should be specially trained to drive a bus which requires more skill than driving a regular passenger car or truck. That bus driver training should be continuously updated to make sure a bus driver's skills are sharp. While we often see people driving cars while talking on their cell phones or using text message devices, bus drivers should never use any such device while the bus is in motion.
Fortunately, this bus accident was not as serious as it could have been, and no children were seriously injured. However, any time there is a bus accident and children or adults are injured, it is important to investigate all aspects of the bus driver's training, skill, experience and operation of the bus to determine the cause of the crash and responsibility for damages.
