A lawsuit has been filed over a school bus and tractor-trailer crash that occurred in Reagan County on October 13, 2010. In the lawsuit, the parents of four children injured in the accident allege negligence against the driver of the tanker truck that crashed into the bus as well as his employer, who has the duty to properly supervise and train its trick drivers.
The school bus had stopped in the northbound lane of State Highway 137 about 20 miles north of Big Lake, Texas. Its lights were flashing and passengers were exiting the bus when an oil field tractor trailer slammed into the back of the bus and forced both vehicles into a ditch.
Eight children and the bus driver were hurt in the crash. Two 11-year-old twins sustained internal injuries and multiple leg fractures. A 15-year-old victim broke her leg, and 13-year old boy had minor neck and back injuries. The truck driver, who was wearing his seat belt, was not injured.
The truck driver told state troopers that he fell asleep behind the wheel before crashing into the bus. The truck’s data recorder, which is the equivalent of an airplane’s black box, revealed that the truck was traveling at 54 mph at the time of the crash and that the brakes were not applied until after the impact.
This is yet another example of the serious danger fatigued truck drivers present on the road. Like the tragic tractor-trailer accident in Oklahoma that left 10 people dead, state troopers cited fatigue as the main cause of this school bus and tanker crash. This accident demonstrates that truck driver fatigue is a prevalent yet preventable problem that is simply too dangerous to be ignored.
Source: Lawsuit filed against driver of truck that hit school bus, Reagan bus crash probed