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Is the bus driver to blame for crash in the Anaheim hills?

A school bus accident in Southern California is leaving people with more questions than answers. The crash occurred in the hills of Anaheim when the bus, which had 11 students on board, ran off the road and crashed into a tree. Fortunately, the bus did not roll over and no one was ejected from the vehicle. Also, no one was killed in the crash.

However, two students were critically injured in the crash. It is unknown what their respective injuries were. Also, three other students were taken to hospitals with minor injuries. Six other students were released to their parents as they only had scrapes and bruises. Several firefighters had to take the bus driver from the vehicle by carrying him through the front window.

While everyone on the bus was fortunate to walk away from the crash, there are several questions to be addressed. Authorities’ preliminary assessment is that the brakes were not applied right before the crash. No skid marks were reportedly found at the crash site. Because of this, investigators may be wondering if the driver failed to apply the brakes, or whether the brakes themselves were faulty. According to the California Highway Patrol, it conducted a safety review in October 2013. However, that was six months ago, and there are other issues that could have come about that ostensibly were not detected since the review.

If mechanical failures led to the crash, the entity responsible for maintaining the bus could be held liable. Essentially, those injured in the accident could seek compensation for their injuries.

Source: LA Times.com “School bus driver may not have hit brakes before crash, CHP says,” Adolfo Flores, April 24, 2014

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