Car Collides with School Bus, Injures 12, Kills One

At least 12 students were injured and one person was killed in an automobile accident that involved a high school bus and a car. The 39-year-old driver of the vehicle died in the accident as his car crossed into the oncoming traffic lane where the bus was. Authorities said the crash is still under investigation to determine what factors played a part in the accident. The 12 injured students were transported to medical facilities as a precaution.

Only one of those students was treated at a facility for a laceration to the face. The rest of the 38 students that were on the bus at the time of the accident were transported back to their school on another bus and they were checked by medical professionals to ensure they had no injuries.

Two-lane rural roads could be dangerous roads for most vehicles to pass through because of the lack of space between both lanes. It is very easy for a car to inadvertently cross over into the opposite lane of traffic which could result in a head-on collision. Most of the accidents that occur on rural roads are because one car is too far into the opposite lane or they fail to properly negotiate a curve or sharp turn in the roadway and collide with oncoming vehicles in the opposite lane. When one or both of those vehicles are driving at high rates of speed, the impact on the victims inside the vehicles is multiplied and could result in extremely serious injuries.

When driving a bus, drivers need to be especially careful to avoid these types of accidents because the people riding the bus are also at risk of serious injury. Since there are no seatbelts in buses, the bus riders could be seriously injured in the event of an accident. Riders could fall out of the seats and they could be injured by the back of seat in front of them or because of the lack of protection in the isle of the bus. This accident could have been much worse and the 38 students riding in the bus could have been seriously injured or killed. Fortunately, they were all able to walk away from the accident in one piece.
 

Disney Tricycle Plastic Trikes Recall

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a voluntary recall of Disney Princess Tricycles due to hazardous displays mounted on the handlebars. The handlebars had castle displays and figures mounted on the handlebars that could potentially injure a child who falls on them.

 

Around 9,000 plastic trikes were sold in the United States. The bikes were pink and fuchsia colored and were called Disney Princess Plastic Racing Trikes. The company (China by Kiddieland Toys Limited) has received three reports of children with facial lacerations suffered from falls. The trikes were sold from January 2009 through April 2011 at Target, JCPenny, Meijer, and H.E.B. Stores for about $50. Consumers of the tricycles are advised to immediately stop their children from using the tricycles and contact Kiddieland for a free replacement handlebar with an enclosed rotating display. If you have purchased one of these tricycles for your child and have questions regarding the recall, you may call 800-430-5307 for information. 

Many children receive tricycles as gifts from their loved ones every year for birthdays or holidays. Disney tricycles are popular among children especially who want products with their favorite characters.  Many children often fall off tricycles but tricycles should be tested to have safety features so that your child is minimally injured. Hospital bills can be extremely costly and your child could suffer lifelong physical ailments. If the Disney tricycles injured your child, it is important to consult someone to discuss your options about compensation.

 

1 Critically Hurt and 1 Killed in Severe Motorcycle Accident

According to a report from News 4 in Jacksonville, FL, one person was killed and one critically injured in a motorcycle accident that occurred in an entrance ramp for a major interstate highway. The operator of the motorcycle reportedly lost control of the bike, possibly as a result of hitting an oil patch in the road and the bike swerved.

 62-year-old Joseph Mercatell was critically injured in the accident and 52-year-old Michele Mercatell was killed. The report states that neither person was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. Both riders were thrown from the motorcycle when the operator lost control. There is no information on the specific injuries that the victims in this accident suffered.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, roughly 71 fatalities occurred for motorcycle riders riding without a helmet in 2007 and 64 riding without a helmet in 2008 and total fatalities ranged in age between 20 to 29 years of age. In 2008, only about 50% of motorcycle fatalities were known to have been wearing helmets. In this incident, the cause of the accident is believed to have been a slick surface in the road due to a patch of oil. in icy conditions or slick road conditions due to rain or any other cause, traction is often very difficult to maintain and the wheels of any vehicle can easily slip and cause a very serious accident. There is no information on whether another vehicle was involved in this accident or if the motorcycle was the only vehicle involved. In many cases, a second vehicle may cross in front of the motorcycle and cause the operator to swerve and subsequently lose control of the bike.
 

Road Construction is Dangerous

When highways are constructed or repaired there are hazards that, if motorists are unaware of, can be fatal. One such hazard is the roadway drop off.

A roadway drop off is where a newly paved portion of the road adjacent to the dirt portion of the road drops off without warning. This drop off, if deep enough, can cause the driver to lose control of his vehicle and not regain control before striking another vehicle or concrete road embankment.

Drop offs are more likely to occur on undivided rural highways with higher speed limits (between 45 and 70 mph) where drivers encounter twists and turns, driveways and oncoming traffic.

Good highway design and construction requires that the drop off on a highway where the speed limit is 55 mph should be no greater than one inch.

In addition, designers should provide space at the shoulders of highways to enable drivers to take evasive maneuvers to avoid potential crashes.

According to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, “well-designed and properly maintained shoulders are needed on rural highways with appreciable volume of traffic.”