Child Suffers Fatal Injuries After Car Crash with a Citrus County School Bus
According to preliminary crash reports from the Florida Highway Patrol, an 8-year-old child suffered fatal injuries on May 13th, 2021, after the vehicle she was riding in rear-ended a Citrus County school bus carrying 30 students and a 79-year-old bus driver.
Statements from the responding officers with the Florida Highway Patrol indicate that it was approximately 3 p.m. this past Thursday when they were dispatched to an area along State Road 200 close to its intersection with East VFW Lane in Hernando. As deputies arrived at the scene of the rear-end collision, they quickly discovered a badly mangled Chrysler Sebring partly wedged underneath the back of the school bus. Within the severely smashed sedan were 3 occupants: the 75-year-old driver, an 8-year-old girl, and another 10-year-old passenger. Local emergency response teams immediately rushed the 8-year-old child to a local hospital, but the severity of her injuries proved to be more than she could withstand, and she sadly passed away shortly upon arrival. The 75-year-old driver of the Sebring only suffered minor injuries and no further information has been released regarding the condition of the other 10-year-old occupant.
Witnesses who were in the vicinity of the collision when it occurred stated that the Citrus County school bus was stopped and had its safety lights fully activated and illuminated in order to drop off a group of students. It was during this procedure that the Chrysler Sebring approached the school bus from behind and, for reasons that are unknown at this time, the 75-year-old driver failed to yield to the bus and the Sebring collided with its back end.
Although the school bus was transporting 30 students at the time of the crash, there were thankfully no reported injuries.
Authorities with the Florida Highway Patrol and local law enforcement officials in Hernando are currently investigating this deadly rear-end car crash, and will presumably release additional details about the case at a later date.
Since 1977, Orlando auto accident attorney James O. Cunningham has dedicated his professional career to representing the victims of wrong-way accidents, T-bone accidents, head-on collisions, and any other car crash in which an innocent victim has sustained serious or fatal injuries. If you would like to schedule a free 30-minute case evaluation, please contact us today at 877-FL-INJURY to schedule an appointment.
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James O. Cunningham
Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.
