Columbia, SC — Six people were hurt and had to be sent to the hospital after the school bus they were riding in was hit by a utility truck in Columbia, South Carolina, on Thursday, September 18, 2014.
The accident happened in the 8800 block of Garners Ferry Road, around four in the afternoon. Reports say that the driver of the utility truck was turning left when he crashed into the bus.
In all, five students and the bus driver were injured. All six were taken to nearby hospitals. No names have been released.
Police ticketed the driver of the utility truck.
Scene of the Accident
Commentary
What makes me so angry about accidents like this is that the driver of the truck should have known better. They drive for a living, and should know simple things like how long it takes them to accelerate from a dead stop. The driver clearly should have been paying more attention, but he didn’t, and he ended up hitting a bus full of kids. Now I understand I’m being a little harsh here, but the news reports don’t really paint the driver in a good light. Obviously, there could be more here than I’m just not seeing.
Unfortunately, while this accident may seem pretty black and white on the surface, it’s really anything but. Even if a trucking company is clearly at fault in an accident, and knows it’s clearly at fault. It’s still going to defend it. A company is going to have quite a bit invested in its truck and its driver, not to mention the insurance policy on the truck. An accident has the potential to greatly impact a company’s bottom line, so they really have no choice but to defend themselves. It’s unfortunate, but that’s how these things typically play out. Hopefully the company will find a way to make things right with the kids their driver hurt, because it really seems as if their driver is at fault.
— Grossman Law Offices
