Posted in Bus Accident,Tennessee Accident Law on December 5, 2016
Multiple Injuries Reported after School Bus Crashes into 2 SUVs in Nashville
A school bus crashed into two SUVs in Nashville Wednesday afternoon, causing five children to suffer serious injuries.
Per a report by WKRN.com, the crash occurred at around 4 p.m. on McCall Street when the 59-year-old bus driver lost control of the vehicle.
Metro Nashville Police say that the bus traveled from the eastbound lanes into the westbound lanes and struck a Chevy Blazer and a Chevy Equinox. A total of 26 children were onboard the bus at the time of the crash, and five of them—three 13-year-old students, one 12-year-old student, and 11-year-old student—were transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to receive treatment for their injuries.
The driver of the Blazer—a 52-year-old woman—was also injured in the crash and was transported to Southern Hills Medical Center to receive treatment. The extent of her injuries hasn’t been reported.
An initial investigation by the MNPD revealed that the bus driver didn’t show any signs of impairment immediately after the crash. However, police collected a blood sample from her for further testing.
The MNPD’s Traffic Unit is still investigating the accident.
Facts about School Bus Accidents
School bus accidents are rare in the United States, but when they happen, students are at risk of being seriously injured. Because school buses often aren’t equipped with seat belts, children may be subject to injuries caused by hitting the seats in front of them or even getting thrown inside the bus. Rollover accidents make children even more likely to suffer serious and life-threatening injuries due to the lack of restraints.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration studied school bus accidents between 2004 and 2013 and released these facts:
Only 54 of the students who died during that time were occupants of school buses. 147 of the students killed were occupants of other vehicles, while 116 were pedestrians and 9 were bicyclists.
School buses are most active and most commonly seen in roadways immediately before school begins and immediately after it ends. However, in some areas, school buses may be out as early as 6 a.m. and as late as 6 p.m., especially when they serve rural areas.
While most children injured by school buses are occupants of other vehicles, children who are walking near buses also have higher risks of injury than children riding buses. That’s why it’s important to teach your children how to safely enter and exit buses.
School buses are large vehicles that outweigh passenger cars, trucks, and SUVs, by 15,000 to 20,000 pounds or more. When buses and passenger vehicles collide, the brunt of the impact is often concentrated on the smaller vehicle. The NHSTA’s study shows that occupants of passenger vehicles are more likely to be injured in these accidents than bus drivers and bus occupants.
Head-on collisions are among the most dangerous types of crashes, and the NHTSA found that 53 percent of fatal school bus accidents are head-on crashes. Everyone involved in these types of collisions, including bus drivers, students, and the occupants of the other vehicles faces an extreme risk of injury.
The Nashville bus accident attorneys at Matt Hardin Law know that many parents are concerned about their children’s safety after the recent bus accidents in Tennessee. Statistics show that school buses are safe and that the risk of injury is low. However, it’s important to always do your part by driving safely around buses and teaching your children safe bus-riding behavior and safe practices for entering and exiting their buses.
If your child was recently injured in a school bus accident, our legal team is here to help. Some bus accidents are caused by negligence on the part of the bus driver, bus owner, or even school district, and we’ll investigate your child’s accident and determine if it could have been prevented. Get in touch with us today. Just dial (615) 200-1111 or complete a free online consultation form.
