Many of us send our kids to school on the school bus every day and rely on these buses to transport our children safely to school and back. Unfortunately, sometimes a bus driver can exercise all of the due diligence and care in the world and external factors can still result in an accident. When the negligence of other drivers results in an injury, those who are responsible must be held accountable for their actions.
According to a recent local news report, a school bus accident left nine people injured, eight of which were children. Local authorities reported that 18 children were on the school bus when a white pick-up truck rear-ended the school bus. Eight children who were on the bus were sent to the hospital with minor injuries, as well as the passenger of the pick-up truck that rear-ended the bus. Police reported that the school bus was attempting to make a stop to pick up a child when it was hit by the truck. The accident remains under investigation.
In Maine, like in many other states, drivers could be ticketed if they do not stop when a school bus puts its stop sign and yellow flashing lights out. Among school bus drivers, other drivers remain their number one concern when it comes to ensuring the safety of the children they transport. Some drivers simply fail to stop and break the law, often because they are distracted while driving. When this takes place, bus drivers are encouraged to provide radio dispatch with a description of the vehicle and driver, the plate number, and the street and time that the incident happened, so that law enforcement can locate and ticket the driver. According to some school bus operators, there is sometimes as frequent as one violation per day in Maine.