Two Injured in Jacksonville Eastside School Bus Wreck
A mother and her young child were injured and hospitalized after a wreck with a school bus early in the morning on January 5. It happened on the Eastside of Jacksonville when witnesses say the woman, driving a Dodge pickup truck, tried to pass the bus as it was stopped with flashing light to load students at the corner of Egner and 11th streets. When the bus began to pull forward, it collided with the pickup truck trying to pass on its left, which caused the pickup to overturn several times and come to a rest on its side in someone’s front yard.
The Jaws of Life were used to remove the mother and child through the roof. The students were on their way to Pinedale Elementary School and neither the students nor the bus driver were hurt, but the mother and child were hospitalized, though The Florida Times-Union says their injuries are not life-threatening. The child was reported to be in a child car seat.
According to News4jax.com, charges will likely be filed against the mother as a result of the collision. Let’s all pray that the mother and child are not seriously injured.
Florida School Bus Law
Florida Statute 316.172 says that a driver must bring his or her vehicle to a full stop when approaching a school bus with its stop signal and lights displayed. The vehicle may not pass the school bus until the signal has been withdrawn and the lights are off. To pass the bus with the stop signals on is a moving violation. The only exception is if you are coming from the opposite direction on a divided highway with a median of at least five feet. Bottom line — stop when you are in the vicinity of a school bus with its flashers on and let those behind you know you are preparing to stop by slowing down. It’s not only the law, but the Jacksonville bus accident lawyers at Farah & Farah remind drivers that you may save a young life.
Source: http://www.news4jax.com/news/2-injured-in-wreck-with-school-bus/-/475880/7647966/-/6macrz/-/index.html; http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2012-01-05/story/mother-child-injured-after-collision-jacksonville-school-bus
