School Bus Fatally Strikes 15-Year-Old in Palm Beach County

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on December 28, 2019

During the morning of Wednesday, December 18th, deputies working with the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office received reports of an accident between a school bus and a pedestrian. Officers, paramedics, EMTs and other emergency personnel rushed to the scene of the bus accident and began to treat the badly injured person as well as conduct a preliminary investigation into just what happened to cause the incident in the first place.

The accident took place at the intersection of Haverhill Road and Elmhurst Road inside of West Palm Beach sometime around 6:30 in the morning. It is not clear what exactly the circumstances were surrounding the incident, although the known combination of factors leads us towards several possible conclusions. While more will be revealed as the investigation by the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office continues, we will try and offer a somewhat comprehensive recapitulation of the scenario.

The facts suggest that it was during the morning that the school bus and the 15-year-old both entered the intersection of Haverhill Road and Elmhurst Road. It is not clear if the teenager had recently exited from this bus, was attempting to board this bus, or if they had nothing to do with the bus at all and were instead simply trying to cross the road. It is not known if the pedestrian was inside of a crosswalk, and it is also not known if the bus had the right of way at the time of the incident. What is clear is that the driver of the bus and the pedestrian were not fully aware of one another’s movements, leading the bus to strike the young person with considerable force.

When the emergency medical teams reached the area, the 15-year-old was still alive, however their condition was extremely serious. They were rushed from the area to a nearby hospital where doctors and nurses did everything they could to stabilize them after the devastating impact with the bus. Sadly, as is so often the case in accidents between vehicles and pedestrians, there was nothing that could be done and the 15-year-old was declared dead sometime after arriving at the hospital.

At the time of this writing no further details have been released. Our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family left behind after this tragic departure of a loved one.

Sources:

• Girl, 15, struck, killed by school bus in Florida

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.