Missouri Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

In recent months, it seems that there have been all too many crashes involving school buses - our Missouri truck accident lawyers have written about these wrecks at length. However, this week, we were amazed to hear about a school bus crash that was averted when a couple of 13 year-old boys acted swiftly and bravely to protect their classmates.

It happened in Milton, Washington, on the first day school was back in session after spring break. Surveillance footage from the bus's camera system shows the driver's hands suddenly flailing and his eyes rolling back into his head, and then he slumps to the side - later, it would be determined that he'd had a seizure. Seconds later, the footage shows a student - 13 year-old Johnny Wood - pointing at the driver and jumping up. In the background, students can be heard yelling "Oh my God!" and "Call 911!" and "Take the keys out of the ignition!"

The bus appeared to be out of control at that point - and headed directly for a church. Then another student - 13 year-old Jeremy Wuitschick - came running up the aisle. Wuitshick grabbed the wheel, removed the keys, and steered the bus to the side of the road. In the meantime, Wood, who had Red Cross first aid training, started chest compressions on the driver.

"I ran up and tried doing chest compressions, but his eyes were rolling back and I could tell it was getting harder for him to breathe," Wood told reporters.

"I was just thinking, 'I don't want to die.' I turned to the right. Turned to the side of the road. Took the keys out of the ignition. We started slowing down," Wuitshick said.

Continue reading "13 Year-Old Students Take Charge When Their Bus Driver Seizes, Slumps Over" »

Our Kansas City auto accident attorneys have noticed a troubling increase in the number of collisions between Missouri buses and passenger vehicles. Consider these recent crashes, all of which happened in February 2012:

• February 3 (Centerview, MO): A northbound Crest Ridge school bus attempted to make a left turn and pulled into the path of a westbound car. Two girls on the bus (an 11 year old and a 12 year old) sustained minor injuries in the crash. Meanwhile, the occupants of the car suffered moderate injuries and were taken from the scene by ambulance. The bus had minor front end damage. The car was totaled.

• February 22: (Grandview, MO): This time, a passenger vehicle turned in front of a Hickman Hills school bus. The car's driver was the only injured party (minor), but a student who may have suffered an asthma attack was also taken by ambulance, and the bus driver (who is pregnant) was also taken as a precaution.

• Feb 29 (Eldon, MO): A School of the Osage bus driver failed to yield to an oncoming passenger vehicle on US 54, which caused a collision. Both occupants of that vehicle were injured: the driver was airlifted from the scene with serious injuries; a passenger was taken by ambulance with moderate injuries. No students were aboard the bus at the time of the crash.

Captain Tim Hull of the Missouri Highway Patrol has said that "Bus transportation remains the safest form of transportation in Missouri." And it's true that bus passengers are generally well protected: in a car-bus collision, as demonstrated in the accidents above, occupants of passenger vehicles are considerably more vulnerable to injury. This fact is a great relief to parents of school age children, as well it should be.

Continue reading "Missouri Car - School Bus Collisions Prompt NTSB Safety Recommendations for All Drivers" »

Luckily, school bus accidents are uncommon. But the Butler County auto accident attorneys know that they do happen, and that it can be hard for a child to deal with such an experience. Even minor bus accidents can be frightening for the children who are passengers; in fact, simply seeing one on the news can be scary. It's important for parents to be aware of what their children are feeling in the aftermath of a bus accident: indeed, a Poplar Bluff school bus accident did happen recently, and the death of a 6 year old from a bus accident in Callaway County last January has been in the news again.

Poplar Bluff School Bus Accidents
The recent accident occurred on November 17, about two miles east of Poplar Bluff. Shortly after 3 p.m., the school bus was stopped on Route NN to off-load students when a woman driving a 2001 GMC struck the bus, sending nine kids to the hospital, all with minor injuries. (Incidentally, a second school bus accident had happened locally only seven days earlier: a car ran into the front wheel of an R1 bus. None of the students were hurt in that collision, and the bus was able to continue driving.)

And several media outlets are reporting on the criminal charges filed against a school bus driver stemming from a Callaway County accident last January. The driver was charged with involuntary manslaughter (a Class D felony) after he ran over and killed a 6 year old boy: he has since pled guilty to those changes, and could be facing up to four years in prison.

Monitoring Your Child After a School Bus Accident
For most kids, death is an intimidating mystery. It's hard for them to wrap their minds around any kind of tragedy or loss of life. There is no "normal" reaction for anyone who survives or witnesses a traumatic event, like a fatal traffic accident or school bus incident. Some kids will go along like nothing has happened; some will show signs of depression; and some will feel very happy and relieved to have survived. Still others will feel guilty for surviving. Remember, as a parent, you know your child best: it's important to monitor the situation, and create opportunities to talk about it.

Continue reading "Two Poplar Bluff, Missouri School Bus Accidents Raise the Question: How Do Children Cope?" »