Paulden, AZ — A semi-truck crashed into a school bus belonging to the Mingus Springs Charter School in Paulden, Arizona, on Tuesday, September 9, 2014. The accident took place on State Road 89, around 6:45 in the morning.
Reports indicate that the driver of the bus had stopped to pick up a student when it was rear-ended by the dump truck. The collision caused the semi-truck to roll over on its side. The driver sustained serious injuries and was taken to Flagstaff Medical Center. A student aboard the bus sustained minor injuries and was taken to Yavapai Regional Medical Center.
Reports say that no children were sitting at the back of the bus at the time of the accident, and that due to the significant damage done to the bus’ rear section, that likely saved several students’ lives.
Scene of the Accident
Commentary
There are two things that are going to dramatically cut down on one’s chances of getting into an accident like this. The first is traveling at a safe speed. The second is traveling at a safe distance. They both seem like fairly common sense precautions to take out on the road, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t pay any attention to them. Or maybe you wouldn’t be surprised. From what’s happened here, it sounds like the driver of the semi-truck failed to do at least one of the two. If he had been driving at a safe distance, we would have had time to stop or change lanes once he saw the bus ahead of him come to a stop.
Although I’ve been surprised before, I have a hard time imagining a scenario in which the trucking company isn’t held liable for the accident. And rightfully so. This kind of accident is unacceptable, and we hold truck drivers to a higher standard.
— Grossman Law Offices
