OCALA, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol said an SUV collided with a Marion County school bus on Tuesday, Ocala-News.com reports.
The vehicles were both headed west on State Road 40 when the crash happened at the intersection with SW 140th Avenue shortly before 5 p.m.
According to the FHP, the driver of the SUV stopped for traffic at the intersection but the driver of the school bus directly behind it could not stop in time and crashed into the back of the SUV.
Senate Bill 766, a new law, allows school districts to install cameras on the outside of school buses to assist in reducing the number of people who pass buses with their stop arms raised.
The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office issued 26 traffic penalties last school year for people illegally passing school buses with stop signs displayed.
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office issued 126 citations.
Due to these infractions, SB766 became a hot topic in some districts that wanted to implement it and increase safety for children on and off school buses.
Before the law was proposed, Brevard County’s public school system tested safety cams.
Bus drivers in the county average between 100 and 200 miles a day, depending on whether they also drive for the after-school program, according to reports. In this specific school system, which has over 70,000 kids, 21,000 are transported by buses.
By installing cameras on 10 of their buses during the 2022-2023 academic year, BCPS evaluated the idea that exterior cameras would be helpful as part of a pilot program with a business named Bus Patrol.
There were 5,361 violations issued throughout the duration of the experimental program last year, or around 3.8 violations per day.
According to reports, the district is committed to installing cameras on each of its school buses as a result of the pilot program’s success. The time frame of the installation of these cameras is unknown currently.
Florida School Bus Laws for Drivers
In Florida, passing a stopped school bus with the STOP arms raised and the red lights flashing will result in four points on your license, a minimum fine of $165, and the necessity to complete a basic driver improvement course. Passing on the side where kids enter and exit can cost you at least $265 in fines.
Florida has severe penalties for drivers who pass school buses and injure or kill someone else. These include a $1,500 fine, six points on your license, a year-long license suspension, 120 hours of community service in a trauma hospital setting, attendance at a victim impact panel meeting, and/or a driver improvement course. Continue reading
PASCO COUNTY, FL – A collision involving a bus and a car on Interstate 75 in Pasco County left two people injured, reports WTSP.
The crash happened near State Road 56 early Friday morning at about 12:10 a.m. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the driver of a Pontiac lost control of the car while headed south on I-75.
The Pontiac struck a guardrail, was redirected back into a traffic, and collided with a Greyhound bus traveling south on I-75. As a result of the impact, the bus went over the median, overturned and ended up in the northbound lanes of I-75.
DUNNELLON, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol said a Marion County school bus was struck by a car on Monday afternoon.
A report by Ocala-News.com states that the accident happened in the area of US. Highway 41 and SW 86th Street in Dunnellon at about 4:20 p.m.
According to the FHP, a 41-year-old Naples woman was driving a sedan east on SW 86th Street when she crossed the center to avoid a disabled vehicle in the roadway. The side of the woman’s sedan hit the driver’s side of the bus, which was carrying 43 students.
CITRUS COUNTY, FL – Two people were hospitalized Wednesday afternoon after a multi-vehicle accident involving a school bus in Citrus County, the Citrus County Chronicle reports.
The incident happened along North Dunkenfield Avenue near the intersection with North Marion May at about 3:08 p.m. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a Chevrolet HHR was stopped in the northbound lane of North Dunkenfield at about the same time a Citrus County School District bus had stopped to make a turn at the intersection.
The FHP said the driver of a Dodge Caravan did not see that the Chevrolet had stopped in front of him and rear-ended the vehicle, causing it to hit the left side of the bus as it was turning.
OCALA, FL – Students were injured after a serious school bus collision in Marion County on Wednesday reports WSVN.
The crash happened as the school bus driver was stopped with the lights activated to let students off near Ocala. As several students were exiting the bus, a 34-year-old driver in a tractor-trailer slammed into the bus.
A total of ten students were on the bus. Five were taken to the hospital, with two of the victims in serious condition.
CITRUS HILLS, FL – A driver and one child were injured following a crash between a car and a school bus in Citrus County Tuesday afternoon.
According to the Citrus County Chronicle, a man in a Toyota Venza ran a red light at County Road 486 and North Annapolis Avenue when he struck the left side of the school bus.
The man, a 33-year-old Hernando resident, suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to Ocala Regional Medical Center.
With back to school season here it is important to address the driving challenges this brings, such as more congestion near schools and in neighborhoods, more yellow school buses on the roadways, more kids and parents walking, and just the added need to exercise a bit more caution. New teen drivers hitting the road to drive themselves to school are an additional safety hazard. Motor vehicle crashes are the second leading cause of death for teens. The CDC estimates that 2,400 teens in the United States between the ages of 13 and 19 were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2019 and another 258,000 needed to be treated for their injuries at the emergency room.
Special attention this time of year is very necessary to prevent simple and avoidable accidents. Here are a few safety reminders from our Florida Pedestrian Accident Attorneys at Whittel & Melton to keep you and your loved ones get safely back to school.
School Buses
Officials are searching for a driver who they believe fled the scene of a crash involving a stolen truck, a vehicle and a Lynx bus.
The Florida Highway Patrol Orlando said it is investigating a crash involving a Lynx bus.
Troopers said the accident happened Sunday afternoon near Texas Avenue and Honour Road when the driver of a Nissan pulled in front of a pickup truck and a bus along Texas Avenue.
A witness said a driver came toward her and other oncoming traffic to avoid the crash. The driver lost control and slammed into a wall, the witness said.
Officials said the crash was a hit-and-run, as the driver of the pickup truck fled the scene.
Two people from the Nissan and four other people were taken to the hospital for treatment. The severity of their injuries is not yet known.
FHP officials and deputies with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office are working to find the driver who fled the scene.
Many people use public transportation, such as Lynx buses as opposed to their own vehicles for numerous reasons like saving money on gas, convenience, and reduced emissions. Some transit riders simply prefer to relax and do other things rather than focus on driving their own car in traffic.
While it is true that you are more likely to be injured while driving your own vehicle than while riding on a bus or public transit, serious injuries and fatalities can and do happen when accidents occur involving buses, trains, light rail, and hired transport.
What Does Lynx Do after a Bus Accident?
You may be wondering what Lynx does after a bus accident occurs. The first thing Lynx representatives will do is have passengers complete forms. Any information you provide could be used against you during a lawsuit if it’s beneficial to Lynx. On that same note, anything that could help your case and points the blame on Lynx could go undiscovered.
After passengers complete these forms, Lynx will then try and get statements on the record from passengers involved in the bus accident. They will use professionals who have been trained to ask questions that could get you to answer in a way that is harmful to your potential case and beneficial to theirs. Because of this, our Florida Injury Attorneys at Whittel & Melton urge you to refrain from signing any forms or making any statements without an attorney present.
The last thing that Lynx will do after an accident happens is reach out with a settlement offer. Lynx representatives will reach out to the injured passengers or family members of a deceased person and likely give an offer way below what the case is actually worth. Before they disburse your settlement, they will ask you to sign a settlement agreement that waives your right to file suit against them. Again, our Florida Injury Attorneys at Whittel & Melton strongly recommend having a lawyer on your side who can advise you on how to proceed with your case for financial compensation.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a Lynx bus accident or a crash involving a taxi, Uber, or Lyft driver, our Florida Injury Attorneys at Whittel & Melton can help you understand what steps to take next. We have the experience needed to help victims of transit accidents obtain the financial compensation they deserve for the injuries they have suffered. We help injury victims throughout the state of Florida who were harmed while aboard a hotel shuttle bus, theme park trolley, monorail, limousine, rental car, or any hired vehicle of any kind.
Two people died after a charter bus that departed from from Orlando overturned on Interstate 95 in Virginia.
The Tao’s Travel Inc. bus traveling from Florida to New York had 57 people aboard when it rolled and ran off the left side of an Interstate 95 exit ramp in Prince George County about 5:22 a.m., according to authorities.
One person died at the scene, while another person died a couple of hours later.
The bus driver has been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in the crash.
The bus departed from Orlando, Florida, and stopped in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, to switch drivers, police said. It was headed to New York City when it crashed.
Bus travel is a very popular mode of transportation. However, buses can pose a serious danger to passengers if they are not operated by trained, attentive employees and if the equipment is not properly maintained. If you have been involved in an accident with a charter bus, it is important to contact our Florida Injury & Wrongful Death Attorneys at Whittel & Melton as soon as possible.
Similar to truck drivers, bus drivers must have proper background checks and receive adequate training to provide safe travels for passengers. Many bus accidents are attributed to unsafe driver conditions, such as:
Driver negligence
When someone you love is injured or killed in an unexpected bus accident, you may be in shock and unsure of what to do next. You or your loved one may be entitled to financial compensation for pain and suffering, medical bills and lost wages resulting from the bus accident. When death occurs, the responsible driver may also face criminal charges for wrongful death.
Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog