Venus ISD School Bus Crash Injures 11 Kids
Johnson County parents are anxiously awaiting news to confirm the cause of a school bus crash which occurred early this morning on County Road 507. Fifty five children were on the Venus Independent School District Bus #11 which collided with a tree. Eleven of the kids had to be hospitalized for their injuries. So far there is no word on the driver’s condition or what the likely cause of the crash was. Venus ISD Superintendent Bobby Matthews said in a statement that the wrecked bus had an on-board camera so that more details should be forthcoming once officials had reviewed the tape.
It is understood that the bus was not equipped with seat belts which could potentially have saved some children from injury. Although state laws went into effect back in 2009 requiring all new school buses in Texas to be outfitted with safety belts, there is no requirement for older vehicles to have them installed. The National Transportation Safety Board recently conducted a study into school bus crashes after learning that 26 students die each year in school bus crashes. They concluded that while the overall design of school buses has not changed since 1977, the introduction of lap belts at a minimum would reduce the number of and the severity of injuries sustained by children involved in school bus crashes.
My thoughts are with the family and friends of those children hurt in today’s tragic accident. As a Johnson County personal injury attorney, I shall certainly be eagerly following this story to find out what caused the crash to occur.
