Second Fatal School Bus Crash in Hampton Roads Claims Life of Driver in Chesapeake, VA

The second fatal school bus crash in the course of a week in Hampton Roads, has raised more questions about safety on the buses that carry our kids to and from school.

The latest school bus crash occurred on Wednesday in Chesapeake. On the same day there was another crash involving a Chesapeake school bus that caused a possible injury to a driver.

The Virginian-Pilot reported on how a 67-year-old man, Raymond Balser Jr. of Elkton, VA, died in Western Branch, Chesapeake after his SUV collided with the side of a Chesapeake school bus.

The wreck occurred about 2:45 p.m. at the intersection of Taylor Road and Peppercorn Drive. The Pilot reported on how there were about 25 students from Western Branch Intermediate School on the bus at the time. Area hospitals treated 20 of them for minor injuries.

Taylor Road and Peppercorn Drive, Chesapeake, VA
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Police spokesman Leo Kosinski said the school bus was turning left from Peppercorn onto Taylor when the Honda SUV hit the driver’s side of the bus. The driver of the SUV died at the scene.

It’s unclear from reports which driver was at-fault for the crash.

The accident occurred just over a week after a Virginia Beach school bus hit sailor Christian Raul Montes, killing him as he stood by his broken down car.

Chesapeake police reported a second accident involving a school bus on Wednesday. At 3:45 p.m. a bus was involved in a collision with a car at Scenic Parkway and Vincek Way near Grassfield High School. The crash caused minor damage and none of the children on the bus were hurt. The driver of the vehicle that was involved in the crash complained of leg pain, said police.

This spate of bus accidents is worrying to me as a Chesapeake auto accident injury lawyer. Our children are our most precious commodity and bus drivers should always exercise the utmost care.

Call us for a free consultation if you have been injured in an accident with a school bus or if a family member has tragically lost their life.

The Chesapeake, VA personal injury law firm, Cooper Hurley, handles automobile, truck, and motorcycle injuries. John Cooper and Jim Hurley have over 40 years of combined experience in handling auto injury accident claims. Attorney John Cooper has been named to Virginia “Super Lawyers” since 2010. Cooper Hurley represents people hurt in accidents in Chesapeake, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Hampton, Newport News and throughout VA, and always put the best interests of our clients first. The firm is recognized by other lawyers as “AV” by Martindale-Hubbell, a national attorney rating service, for our top level of legal skill and highest ethical standards. If you need help or advice about a serious injury, please call us at (757) 455 -0077 or contact us through this website