An accident in Greensburg, a small town in Louisiana less than two hours from New Orleans, ended with a school bus being turned onto its side. There were 38 children on the bus at the time of the accident, and 11 of those children reportedly suffered injuries, some of which authorities described as “moderate.” Thankfully, there were no fatalities.
According to reports, the school bus driver was trying to make a left turn at an intersection in which the driver was permitted to do so. In the process of the turn, someone driving a pickup truck behind the bus decided to use the left lane to pass several vehicles. The driver trying to pass apparently either did not notice or did not have time to yield to the school bus and hit it, forcing the bus onto its side. The driver of the pickup truck has been cited for illegally passing and also for carelessly operating the vehicle. The exact nature of the children’s injuries and their prospects for a full recovery are not available.
While it is true that drivers of large commercial vehicles like trucks and buses need to be mindful of smaller passenger cars, it is equally true that other drivers need to watch out for trucks and buses, particularly school buses that are transporting children. This is true even when a school bus is not in the process of picking up or dropping off young passengers. In particular, Louisiana motorists need to avoid passing in no-passing zones and should also make every effort to pass only one vehicle at a time.
In addition to those who suffered physical injuries, all of the children on the bus involved in this car accident, as well as their families, are likely traumatized after this scary incident. Depending on the facts and circumstances, those families who have kids that did suffer injuries may be eligible to recover compensation from the driver who struck the bus.
Source: WDSU News, “11 children injured when school bus overturns after crash with pickup truck in Greensburg,” Feb. 13, 2017.
