Dozens of Children Involved in San Diego County Bus Accident

Parents in Vista and throughout San Diego County should learn more about a recent bus crash that occurred when a school bus crashed into a tree and left several children with injuries. According to a recent article in U.S. News & World Report, the charter bus collided with a tree with 43 students on board. A report from NBC 7 San Diego indicated that the tree smashed through all of the windows on one side of the bus, shattering the glass and causing lacerations to a number of the children on board. Some of those kids suffered injuries to the face.

How did this bus accident happen? What can parents in Vista do to help prevent child injuries in school bus accidents?

San Diego County Bus Accident

According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the bus crash occurred in front of Joan MacQueen Middle School just before 5:00 p.m. in early March 2018. The child school bus passengers, along with two parents and the bus driver, had been returning from a field trip when the accident occurred. Emergency medical responders arrived at the scene of the crash and evaluated all of the children and other passengers. While some sustained minor injuries, the emergency medical responders reported that, fortunately, no one sustained serious or life-threatening injuries.

Some of the students did leave the scene with their parents to receive additional medical evaluations, however. Parents reported that “kids on the bus had glass shards on their head and in their hair following the crash.”

What caused the bus crash? According to Karen Hohimer, the principal of the middle school, the crash remains under investigation. In a statement, Hohimer said, “Law enforcement will conduct a full investigation of the accident, and we will stay in close contact with the parents of the children who were on the bus. We take this type of incident very seriously and want to assure you our school buses and chartered buses remain a safe form of transportation for getting children to and from school and field trips.”

Preventing School Bus Accidents

Based on reports from the recent bus accident, the company had a “satisfactory” safety rating and no obvious history of violations. Bus crashes can happen even when a bus driver or a bus company does not have a previous accident history. Even when bus crashes cannot be predicted based on the record of a bus driver or bus company, it is important for parents to consider safety tips to keep their kids safe.

The following safety tips come from the California Teachers Association (CTA):

• Ensure that children are dressed in bright clothing while waiting for the bus so that they can be seen;
• Remind children to behave properly while waiting for the bus to avoid an accident in the street;
• Stand away from the bus as it is approaching;
• Use the handrail when climbing into the bus;
• Be quiet on the bus to ensure that the driver does not get distracted from the task of driving and focusing on the road;
• Remain in your bus seat at all times;
• Do not kneel or stand on the bus seat; and
• In the event of an emergency, always follow the bus driver’s instructions and remain as calm as possible.

Contact a Vista Bus Accident Attorney

If your child was injured in a bus crash, a Vista bus accident attorney may be able to help. Contact the Walton Law Firm for more information about the services we provide to injury victims in Southern California.

See Related Blog Posts: Rancho Bernardo Back-to-School Bus Safety Will Tour Bus Inspections Increase in San Clemente?

(image courtesy of michael-mroczek)