St. Petersburg, FL — A driver was hospitalized following an accident with a school bus in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Wednesday, September 10, 2014. The accident took place on the Gandy Bridge, around 8:30 in the morning.
The names of those involved have not been released. The school bus was privately owned, and authorities have said that no students were aboard at the time.
The driver of the minivan involved was taken to a nearby hospital. While the cause of the accident is unclear at this time, pictures seem to indicate the school bus crashed into the vehicle’s left side. Police are continuing to investigate.
Scene of the Accident
Commentary
If this school bus belong to a local school district, this accident would look very different. School districts are considered municipal entities, and as such are afforded sovereign immunity, which will typically offer them a lot of protection following an accident like this. If this school bus is privately owned, that means it’s most likely owned by a charter/private school, and so wouldn’t be afforded that same protection. Now, that’s not an excuse for the wolves to descend on them just because they can. But if the school bus was in the wrong, as pictures from the scene seem to indicate, then the driver and the owners need to be held responsible.
— Grossman Law Offices
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