A commercial semi-truckrear-ended a Clark County school bus that had stopped to pick up a student on U.S. 68, the Springfield News-Sun reported on September 14, 2011. Superintendent Dan Bennett told the News-Sun that the driver of the school bus and 12 Greenon Local Schools students were examined by emergency medical personnel at the scene and a school nurse, reporting only minor injuries.
Sgt. Steve Dutiel of the Ohio State Highway Patrol told the News-Sun that the truck driver, 25-year-old Kyle Caraway, was charged with failure to maintain an assured clear distance in Clark County Municipal Court. Dutiel said Caraway was not injured and claimed he was unable to stop. The bus suffered some damage to the rear bumper.
It is always troubling when a truck accident involves a school bus, but it is fortunate that no children suffered serious injuries in this particular story. If any students had been hurt, an experienced truck accident lawyer would immediately begin looking into the truck’s maintenance history. If Caraway says that he was unable to stop, then it is fair to ask if the brakes properly adjusted. Was there low pedal pressure? Or was it possible that the driver might have actually been distracted or driving too aggressively?
If you have been injured or have lost a loved one as a result of another person's negligence, you deserve to be fully compensated for your losses. The simple fact is that you should not be forced to pay the price for another person's careless or reckless actions.