Indiana Youth Athletes Hospitalized After School Bus Crash

16 of 36 students from the Sunman-Dearborn Middle School swim team were
injured in a school bus accident after it crashed earlier this month near
Connersville in Fayette County at the intersection of South Gray and Ziegler
Roads. There were no life-threatening injuries although several students
were taken to Fayette Regional Hospital with small injuries and then released
to their parents.

Local police and crash investigators believe the cause of the accident
was brake failure and at this point the driver hasn’t been cited.
The investigation is ongoing.

Unlike this wreck, many school bus accidents are caused by another vehicle’s
driver, who may be distracted, speeding, or otherwise traveling in a manner
unsafe for conditions.

How Safe Are School Buses?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the school bus
is the safest vehicle on the road. In fact, your child is much safer taking
a bus to and from school than traveling by car. This statement may not
be surprising though, as it has long been proven that school buses are
safer modes of transportation. This information has been supported for
decades by these
facts and research.

  • Students are about 70 TIMES MORE LIKELY to get to school safely if they
    take the school bus instead of traveling by car.
  • Eighty-one percent of student fatalities during those times when students
    are driving/riding to or from school occur in private vehicles.
  • Nearly two-thirds of these fatalities involve a teenage driver, with another
    quarter involving an adult driver in a private vehicle.
  • Today’s school buses are tougher, cleaner and more diligently maintained
    than ever before.
  • School bus drivers are well-trained and school bus traffic laws are more
    widely and strictly enforced.
  • It’s estimated that over 10 million drivers illegally pass school
    buses every year.
  • Obstructed views and distracted drivers put kids at risk, which is why
    it’s important that parents teach them about ways to stay safe.

Sadly, there are some outdated Indiana School districts where nearly half
of the school buses in operation have failed yearly safety inspections.
These failures are accidents just waiting to happen. Not only are the
reasons for failure potential causes of an accident but they can also
be contributing factors to an accident initiated by another vehicle where
the school bus driver cannot properly respond. Problems with brakes or
steering can certainly make an accident exponentially more dangerous and
increase the likelihood of serious injury or death.

If your child has been the victim of injury while riding on a school bus
as a result of another driver’s wrongdoing or an unsafe condition
on the bus itself, the law offices of Wagner Reese want to assist you
in bringing justice to these situations and restore your confidence in
the safety of the school bus. Call us a at (888) 204-8440 to schedule your
free school bus accident consultation and find out how we can help answer any questions you may have or assist
you and your family through any legal needs related to your child’s injury.