In what was supposed to be a fun and enjoyable day at the zoo, quickly turned into a frightening experience for a group of special needs children who were on a school bus that rolled over. The bus was one its way back from a field trip at the time of the accident.
According to state police, the bus was traveling down the interstate when a truck went to change lanes and cut the bus off. In an effort to avoid a collision, the bus driver veered off of the road and into the grass. The bus ended up rolling over.
There were 12 passengers on the bus at the time of the accident. Seven were adults and five were children. Everyone had to be transported to nearby hospitals to be treated for injuries. None of these injuries are described as life-threatening, but there were several complaints regarding back and neck pain.
The students themselves were all between the ages of 4 and 10 years old. All were students of the life-skills class.
In hearing about this accident, one of the more disturbing facts is that the truck driver who appears to of caused the crash, left the scene.
For parents reading of an accident like this, the point is not to scare one out of taking class trips. Rather, it is just to keep in mind that bus accidents can and do happen. However, whether the accident was caused by another driver — or the actual bus driver — when people are injured it is important to get to the bottom of who is responsible. An attorney with experience handling these types of cases in New York City would be able to help and could explain legal options.
Source: myfoxny.com, “School bus carrying special-needs kids rolls over,” Charles Wilson, May 16, 2013
