How safe is your child? On two consecutive school days in Tennessee (Friday 11/18 and Monday 11/23/2016), there were three separate crashes involving school buses. Twenty-three students were injured in one crash, and six were killed in another. How safe are our school buses?
As you look at those three bus crashes, each time of day was different, road conditions were all totally different. The only common thread seems to be that each accident involved a school bus.n
Is it time we put safety belts on buses? Should buses be monitored with a GPS system that prohibits those vehicles from traveling above certain speeds on specific roadways?
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Monday, Nov. 23, 2016 at 3:20PM
Tragically six students from Woodmore Elementary School in Chattanooga were killed around 3:20 Monday (11/23/2016) afternoon when a bus slammed into a tree on Talley Road near Brainerd Road. In addition, several remain hospitalized critical condition. The bus was transporting 35 students, and 23 were taken to Erlanger's Childrens Hospital. Five died at the scene and one passed away later in the hospital. The Tennessee Highway Patrol says speed may have been a factor in this crash. It took over 2-hours to get all of the students out of the over-turned bus. THP reports that the blood test on the school bus driver, 24-year old Johnthony Walker showed no drugs or alcohol in his system.
Friday, Nov. 18, 2016 at 10:45AM
Three Chester County School buses were transporting students to a National Beta Club Convention at the Opryland Hotel when flipped on I-65 in Nashville. There were 43 students on board that bus and 23 were transported to nearby hospitals. One of the bus driver was powerless as he watched in his rear-view mirror the bus behind him flip. Three had significant injuries: one being a broken collarbone and two suffered critical injuries to their arm. A moving event occured, the 20 uninjured students gathered in a circle around a Metro firefighter who led them in prayer. Henderson, Tennessee is the county seat of Chester County. It is adjacent to Jackson in West Tennessee.
Friday, Nov. 18, 2016 at 6:45AM
Rutherford County school bus 52 was stopped in the 9600 block of the John Bragg Highway at 6:45 Friday morning. The sun had just risen, and the school bus driver said he was picking up children and the stop arm was extended and all emergency lights were flashing.
None of the children were injured, but the driver of the white GMC pickup truck that wedged under the bus was killed. Officials indicate that 28-year old Marcus Titworth of McMinnville was not wearing a safety belt.
