Every parent’s worst nightmare unfolded recently when a 6-year-old New Jersey boy was killed in a school bus accident. The boy’s mother said she saw the accident happen.
According to the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, the accident occurred shortly before 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 6 as the bus was picking up children to take them to school in Waterford Township. The authorities said that the boy walked in front of the bus as it was stopped to pick up children. When the bus started moving, it hit the child.
The boy’s mother said her son yelled for the driver to stop, but the driver apparently didn’t hear him. She said the boy was hit by the driver’s side front tire of the bus and the vehicle dragged her son down the street.
Police said the driver was a substitute who had 25 years of experience. The authorities said they had not charged the driver with any crime. The accident remains under investigation.
Studies show that it’s rare for children to be killed on or near school buses. Only about 20 die in school bus-related accidents every year, according to the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, most of those killed are pedestrians, and most are between the ages of 5 and 7.
When a family loses a child, it is an emotionally devastating, and that mental suffering can have serious effects for the rest of their lives. A New Jersey attorney with experience in sensitive child injury cases can help counsel grieving families about their legal options.
Source: USA Today, “School bus kills New Jersey 6-year-old,” Phil Dunn, Jan. 7, 2014
