In 2013 there were 569 school bus crashes across the State of Virginia, 353 occupants were injured (73 drivers & 280 passengers) and 3 were fatal. The majority of the accidents occurred during daylight hours with no adverse weather conditions.
We are four months into the 2014-2015 academic school year for Hampton Roads, and there have been numerous accidents reported in the area. Just yesterday a bus carrying thirty students to Oakland Elementary in Suffolk were rear –ended on Godwin Blvd. Nine students were taken to Sentara Obici Hospital, with reported injuries. In October, a driver was arrested for fleeing the scene after hit-and-run with a City of Franklin School Bus on East Washington St. in Suffolk. The bus had nine students on board that attend (SECEP) Southeastern Cooperative Education Program at John Kennedy Middle School. The police reported no injuries to the students; the bus driver was transported to Sentara Obici with non-life threatening injuries.
Both of these accidents could have been worse, thanks to quick thinking and driver safety measures that were taken.
Please remember in Virginia the law states:
You must stop for stopped school buses with flashing red lights and an extended stop sign when you approach from any direction on a highway, private road or school driveway. Stop and remain stopped until all persons are clear and the bus moves again. You must also stop if the bus is loading or unloading passengers and the signals are not on. You do not have to stop if you are traveling in the opposite direction on a roadway with a median or barrier dividing the road and the bus is on the opposite side of the median or barrier.
On August 28, 2014 Attorney Paul Hernandez appeared on the Hampton Roads Show @WAVY News 10 and spoke with the viewing audience on “How to safely share the road with school buses”. If you would like to view this segment go to www.wavy.com/2014/08/28/safely-sharing-the-road-with-school-buses/ or visit our Kalfus & Nachman Facebook Page.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a personal injury, it’s important to get an attorneyexperienced in these types of cases involved immediately. Call (855) 880-8163 for your initial free consultation. Kalfus & Nachman PC, can help you determine whether you need a lawyer for an accident or any personal injury case.
