Two eighth grade students had to be the heroes, roles they should have never been asked to play, when the school bus they were riding on crashed into a building in Houston on Dec. 8. The boys were just some of the 36 students attending KIPP 3D Academy and KIPP Dream College Prep who were on the bus ride that turned into a nightmare.
The cause of the bus accident is still unknown, but the driver of the bus, which was traveling on the Hardy toll road, apparently lost control and struck a building. The driver reportedly lost consciousness after the wreck, and the two boys jumped into action, helping the young children and then attempting to get the driver out of the bus.
Children on the bus ranged from kindergartners to eighth graders. The boys said that the younger kids were especially scared, which is why they got them off the bus first. The boys said that the bus driver was bleeding from her face. One child also had to be taken to the hospital.
The private bus company that owns the bus said they are investigating the accident. One of the company’s other buses that was also transporting KIPP students got in a wreck in April 2010. Ten children were injured in that incident.
The situation is a parent’s worst nightmare. When parents in Texas and elsewhere put their children on a school bus each morning, they expect those kids to reach their destination safely. Whether it is the driver’s fault, a manufacturing flaw in the bus or another driver that caused the bus to leave the road, parents will understandably want to hold someone responsible for the actions that put their children’s lives in danger. Consulting with a personal injury attorney could be the necessary first step in finding out how to proceed.
Source: KTRK, “School bus crashes into building,” Tom Abrahams, Dec. 8, 2011
