UPDATE: The victim in this accident has been identified as Seleny Crosby. You can read an updated version of this article here.
South Jordan, UT — An accident involving a school bus sent a ten-year old girl to the hospital in critical condition on Wednesday. The accident occurred in South Jordan, Utah, near the intersection of 10600 S and 400 W, when the girl was on her way home from school.
The school bus had pulled over on the side of the road, and as the girl was crossing the street she was hit by another bus traveling along 4000 West. The girl was taken to Intermountain Medical Center, then later to Primary Children’s Hospital. At last report, the girl was still listed in critical condition.
At this time, it’s not known why the bus didn’t stop before hitting the girl. The accident is still under investigation.
Scene of the Accident
Commentary
The fact that this child was hit by a school bus makes things a little tricky. The bus, belonging to a school district, which belongs to the city, is considered a part of a municipality, and sovereign immunity always makes bringing any sort of claim against a municipality very difficult. I’m not sure how things work in Utah, but in Texas, the statute of limitations for claims involving a vehicle belonging to a municipality are much shorter than they otherwise would be. So that’s just one more hurdle that victims and their families have to jump.
Because of the nature of these claims, there are other things that need to be examined. Who was driving the vehicle at the time of the accident? Were they following all of the proper safety procedures? Was the bus itself up to code, as far as things like signage and lights go? Was it using those things when the accident occurred? There are two buses involved in this accident, and these things need to be examined on both of them.
Because time is already working against those involved in these sorts of accidents, private investigations into these matters are always a good idea. Those conducting them are able to invest the time and resources into the matter that local police won’t be able to. These people will also know what to do with the information once they’ve found it. In my time as an attorney, I’ve been involved in literally hundreds of these investigations, and there’s never been a time when we felt that our work wasn’t absolutely crucial to helping victims and their families.
— Grossman Law Offices
