Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

School bus crashed after driver leaned out to vomit: lawsuit
Chicago Sun Times ^ | August 4, 2010 | Sun-Times Media Wire

Posted on 08/11/2010 1:30:00 PM PDT by a fool in paradise

As a school bus traveled down a Kankakee County road last December, its driver opened the door of the moving bus to vomit and then fell out — causing the bus full of school children to crash into a nearby ditch, a lawsuit claims.

The suit against Illinois Central School Bus was filed in Cook County Circuit Court Monday by a mother who claims her child was injured in the crash.

Akilah Giddings, mother of Jacqual Calbert, claims that the driver opened the door of the bus “in an attempt to lean over so he could barf” as the bus approached an intersection in Pembroke Township in rural Kankakee County.

The driver fell out and onto the road, while the bus carrying school children continued moving and crashed into a ditch, the suit claims. Calbert, a passenger on the bus, suffered an unspecified injury, the suit says. The suit does not say if anyone else was injured in the crash.

Illinois Central School Bus spokeswoman Diana Hallam declined to comment on the lawsuit, saying she has not reviewed it yet. She said safety is “a top priority.’’ The company, based in west suburban Montgomery, is the seventh largest school bus transportation business in the U.S., according to its website.


TOPICS: Local News
KEYWORDS: arth; busdriver; chicago; cultureofcorruption; lawsuit; napl
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-64 next last
To: Beelzebubba
Just as I thought. You are unable to point to the statistic that compares death and injury on a school bus vs. having the **parent** drive them directly to and from a school ( or school event), with the child securely wearing a seat belt.

**THAT** is the information that a parent needs to know when deciding to drive the child or let him use the bus.

**THAT** factoid doesn't exist because it has never been studied.

Also....Am I to conclude that you think it **OK** that children wind up in ERs or **DEAD** with school bus injuries that could be **EASILY** be prevented with some rather simple and inexpensive school design, more adult supervision, and seat restraints ( one freeper suggesting using the restraints found on amusement park rides.) ?

Hey? And...Then there is the bullying, and harassment found on buses ( sexual, physical, and emotional.) that could be prevented with better adult supervision....but...I guess you think that's OK, too!

41 posted on 08/11/2010 4:06:59 PM PDT by wintertime (Good ideas win! Why? Because people are not stupid.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: wintertime

Yep. It pisses me off that UPS drivers cruise around with no seatbelt and leg hanging out the door also.


42 posted on 08/11/2010 4:12:27 PM PDT by goseminoles
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]

To: wintertime

http://www.google.com/gwt/x?q=ronshay+dugans&ei=hy1jTKDjE4zAM-XH6_gB&ved=0CAgQFjAA&hl=en&source=m&rd=1&u=http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/27958164.html


43 posted on 08/11/2010 4:16:38 PM PDT by goseminoles
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: wintertime

I assume the biggest risk BY FAR is kids who drive themselves and their sibling/friends to school and back. At least based on casual observation around here in Indiana.

So why worry about the trivial risk of bus crashes?
To be really “safe” you need to make sure all those hs students get driven to school.


44 posted on 08/11/2010 4:18:57 PM PDT by nascarnation
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: wintertime
Children get more supervision getting into or on, and off an AMUSEMENT PARK RIDE than they do getting into the school bus seat, and on and off their school bus.

Hey! How many of those 66 deaths were due to being crush or dragged to death by their school bus? ( A death nearly completely preventable by having adult supervision.)

But...Hey! Since there are sooo few **preventable** deaths, I suppose we should all celebrating! CHEERS! (/s)

45 posted on 08/11/2010 4:23:05 PM PDT by wintertime (Good ideas win! Why? Because people are not stupid.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: equalitybeforethelaw
It pays to be observant and have good brakes.

Ahh, yes! The difference between a brown nose and a kiss-* is good brakes.

46 posted on 08/11/2010 4:25:41 PM PDT by ApplegateRanch (Made in America, by proud American citizens, in 1946.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: nascarnation

I assume the biggest risk BY FAR is kids who drive themselves and their sibling/friends to school and back.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Absolutely! These kids would be safer on any U.S.school bus, no matter how poorly designed, missing seat restraints, or lacking in adult supervision.

I agree with you there!

But...If a kid is going to ride a bus, let’s make it on one that is as safely designed as possible, with seat restraints of some sort, and with adult supervision. Many many injuries and some deaths could be completely eliminated by doing this.


47 posted on 08/11/2010 4:27:06 PM PDT by wintertime (Good ideas win! Why? Because people are not stupid.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: wintertime
Parents: Drive your own children to school and safely buckle them up in a properly fitted safety seat or belt.

IIRC, Rodney Dangerfield's parents wouldn't let him ride the bus...they made him hitchhike!

48 posted on 08/11/2010 4:28:33 PM PDT by ApplegateRanch (Made in America, by proud American citizens, in 1946.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: nascarnation
So why worry about the trivial risk of bus crashes?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

If your child is dragged by his bus because his back pack strap gets caught in a handrail that could have been **inexpensively** changed for a safer design, you won't think it was trivial.

If your second grade-aged child is crushed by his bus when merely having an adult present ( other than the distracted driver) would have prevented the accident, you won't think it was trivial.

Oh...And children **do** enter and exit buses for school events that are not happening immediately at the child's assigned school bus stop when the parent could be present.

I suppose my concern and alarm about school bus safety began when one year a first grader in our county was crushed to death by his school his school bus. The following year **another** young child was crushed to death in our county by his bus. UNBELIEVABLE!

TWO children crushed to death in one county in two years! It was the early eighties in Cecil County, Maryland.

The parents in our county, organized themselves, and begged and lobbied the school board for adult supervision besides just the driver. They were never successful in getting the schools to do that.

49 posted on 08/11/2010 4:40:01 PM PDT by wintertime (Good ideas win! Why? Because people are not stupid.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: goseminoles
A third-grader at Apalachee Elementary, who died of head trauma, after a cement truck collided with the school bus she was riding, Friday afternoon.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Likely, that child would have had no, or very minor, injuries if she had been in a restraint.

I wonder if she was one of three children ( very unsafe) in the seat and was then thrown into the aisle. Maybe another child ( also unrestrained) fell into her and that caused the head injury.

This is so sad.

50 posted on 08/11/2010 4:45:27 PM PDT by wintertime (Good ideas win! Why? Because people are not stupid.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: ApplegateRanch

Very cute! :-)


51 posted on 08/11/2010 4:46:49 PM PDT by wintertime (Good ideas win! Why? Because people are not stupid.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: wintertime

I think the data I provided speaks for itself. I’m done with irrational zealots. Go write your school board.


52 posted on 08/11/2010 4:57:41 PM PDT by Atlas Sneezed (Anything worth doing, is worth doing badly at first.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: wintertime

Also....Am I to conclude that you think it **OK** that children wind up in ERs or **DEAD**

...but...I guess you think that’s OK, too!


This kind of old-lady rhetoric is why I’m not wasting any more time on you.


53 posted on 08/11/2010 5:03:09 PM PDT by Atlas Sneezed (Anything worth doing, is worth doing badly at first.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: Beelzebubba
You have just called me irrational and a zealot! Wow! I am soooo unimpressed with this debating tactic.

And...I am correct. You can not provide the statistic that compares the safety of a child riding with a seat belt, by his parent, to and from school, as compared with his school bus ride.

**THIS** is the statistic a parent needs to make a rational decision about whether to drive the child to school or to allow him to get on the bus.

You can't give us that statistic because it does NOT exist!

54 posted on 08/11/2010 5:03:58 PM PDT by wintertime (Good ideas win! Why? Because people are not stupid.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: wintertime

Goes to show there is always a vehicle bigger than you and anything can happen.


55 posted on 08/11/2010 5:05:29 PM PDT by goseminoles
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: equalitybeforethelaw

Toys R Us in November and December is the closest thing I’ve seen to hell on earth. I’m so glad all the kids who get gifts from me have outgrown that place.


56 posted on 08/11/2010 9:42:38 PM PDT by Huntress (Who the hell are you to tell me what's in my best interests?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: a fool in paradise
This happened last December, and the newspaper just worked its backlog down enough to report it now?

The British are coming, the British are coming! Oops, they overran us 8 or 9 months ago. Never mind.

57 posted on 08/12/2010 3:26:41 AM PDT by tdscpa
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: tdscpa

This is about the lawsuit about the crash.


58 posted on 08/12/2010 8:04:08 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (I wish our president loved the US military as much as he loves Paul McCartney.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 57 | View Replies]

To: Dem Guard
How many kids sympathy barfed when this guy lost his cookies? lol

Technicolor yawning is contagious.

59 posted on 08/12/2010 8:07:20 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (I wish our president loved the US military as much as he loves Paul McCartney.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: Salem
Hey gnarly dudes, give me a break! I had ta' hurl!

'shrooms will do that to ya!

60 posted on 08/12/2010 8:08:09 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (I wish our president loved the US military as much as he loves Paul McCartney.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-64 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson