Teen Driver Rear-Ends Somerset School Bus Carrying 40 Students
Authorities say a 17-year-old driver rear-ended a Somerset ISD school bus that was carrying more than 40 elementary school students early Tuesday morning.
Details of the Somerset School Bus Accident
According to KSAT, the collision occurred around 7 am in the 20800 block of Highway 16.
Preliminary reports say the Somerset ISD school bus was stopped and had its stop sign deployed and its flashing lights active when it was struck by the 17-year-old Somerset High School student. The teen’s Ford Branco became wedged under the back of the bus, and the teen had to be extricated from the vehicle.
The teen was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. No life-threatening injuries to bus passengers either.
School Bus Accident Statistics
On average, of 30 school-age children are killed each year in school-transportation-related crashes — most of them outside of the bus or in other vehicles — according to newly updated federal data.
According to NHTSA, from 2006 to 2015, there were 324,710 fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes. Of those, 1,172 (0.4%) were classified as being related to school transportation.
Even within the school-transportation-related fatalities, less than a quarter of those killed are children. In the 2006 to 2015 time span, NHTSA’s data show that 1,313 people of all ages were killed in crashes related to school transportation, with 301 of them (23%) being school-age children (age 18 or younger).
The report also shows that most of the child fatalities take place outside of school buses or in other vehicles. Of the 301 school-age children killed in school-transportation-related crashes from 2006 to 2015:
- 54 (18%) were occupants of school transportation vehicles
- 137 (46%) were occupants of other vehicles
- 102 (34%) were pedestrians
- Eight (3%) were cyclists
According to NHTSA’s data, of the school-age pedestrians killed in school-transportation-related crashes from 2006 to 2015:
- 61% were struck by school buses.
- 3% were struck by vehicles functioning as school buses.
- 36% were struck by other vehicles involved in the crashes.
NHTSA defines a school-transportation-related crash as one that involves, either directly or indirectly, a school bus body vehicle or a non-school bus functioning as a school bus, transporting children to or from school or school-related activities.
Contact an Experienced Bus Accident Attorney
If you or your child have been injured in a bus accident, contact Thomas J. Henry. Our team of experienced bus accident attorneys are available to evaluate your claim 24/7, nights and weekends. Thomas J. Henry has the financial resources and the track record of winning that you need in a law firm. Contact us today for a free case review. Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, serving clients across Texas and nationwide.
