Norfolk School Bus Crash Raises More Questions About Bus Drivers

A series of accidents over the last year or so have questioned how school buses are driven in Hampton Roads.

In March school bus accidents in Suffolk and Poquoson left 11 students with injuries. The Poquoson bus driver was later cited for reckless driving.

In Norfolk a school bus driver has been issued a citation with police saying the driver disregarded a red light. On May 19, three people were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries sustained in a car accident involving a Norfolk school bus and two other cars. Police believe the bus driver tried to make a left turn at the intersection of East Little Creek Road and Mona Avenue, while the light was still red, and ended up hitting a SUV that was already on Little Creek Road. This collision then caused the SUV to slam into another vehicle.

The injured people were two adults on the bus and the driver of the SUV. The driver of the third car suffered no injuries. The collision was quite violent and witnesses to the crash described how the loud sound of the impact could be heard even in the stores close to the intersection. The front of the bus was completely mangled and it was towed away from the scene and will be inspected to determine whether it has to be scrapped. Luckily no children were hurt. The bus driver was setting out on his morning route and so there was only one child onboard at the time of the accident. He escaped the incident unscathed.

The police issued the bus driver a citation for disregarding a red light. Norfolk had instituted its own additional regulations on bus drivers to make sure they are properly trained. According to Wavy News 10, in addition to having commercial drivers’ licenses, Norfolk school bus drivers must go through transportation training twice a year. The last session was held in January.

Incidents like this make it seem like these drivers may need extra training because as Diana Gibson, a witness to the accident and an employee at Shoney’s, pointed out, “You need to be extra cautious especially when you have that kind of job and you have kids on the bus. You need to be responsible for that.”

Wavy News 10 also reached out to Norfolk Public Schools to determine if the school bus driver will face any disciplinary action from the school. Division spokeswoman, Elizabeth Mather said the school district is investigating the incident. ,“The safety of all of our students is our top concern,” she said.

She said there “must be repercussions for such mistakes to ensure that everyone takes all necessary precautions to keep our children safe.”

If you have been injured in a car accident due to the fault of another driver, you should seek medical care and then call the Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers for a free consultation at 757.455.0077. When it really counts, count on Cooper Hurley.