Red Valley, AZ — Local sources say that 20 students were taken to local hospitals after a school bus rolled over on its way back from a field trip in Red Valley, Arizona. The accident took place on Route 13, around 4:15 in the afternoon.
The driver of the bus involved in the accident would tell officials that he was driving down a hill when his brakes went out. It appears that the man lost control of the vehicle, over-corrected, and rolled off the side of the road.
The children were taken to the San Juan Regional Medical Center and the Northern Navajo Medical Center. Of the 20 students transported, only seven were injured. Officials say that most of those injuries consisted only of bumps and bruises, and that no one was seriously hurt. The names of those involved in the crash weren’t released.
In all, there were 33 students and two adults on the bus involved in the rollover.
Scene of the Accident
Commentary
There are a lot of accidents out there in which a driver claims that his brakes went out. In most cases, that’s not actually what happens. News reports say that the driver involved in this accident was driving down a mountain when his brakes “went out” and he lost control. It’s much more likely that he was riding his brakes as the bus traveled downhill. This causes the components of the braking system to heat up, which in turn causes them to lose their stopping power. Of course, I didn’t witnesses this accident happen, so I’m only making an educated guess here. Of course, the school district is still liable for the children’s injuries, as it was their driver who caused the accident. Luckily, none of the children seem to have been seriously hurt.
— Grossman Law Offices
