By Kevin Duffan, Suffolk Traffic Accident Injury Attorney

A Corapeake, North Carolina (NC) resident who dosed off while driving a van faces charges following a bus-van accident in Suffolk, Virginia (VA), that sent about 20 adults and children to the hospital on March 17, 2010.

Aftermath of head-on collision between van and Driver Elementary School bus

The head-on collision occurred on East Washington Street and involved a van and a school bus carrying students to Driver Elementary School. Police concluded the van’s driver fell asleep at the wheel, crossed the center line of the two-lane road, and crashed into the bus. Both drivers were hospitalized, with the woman driving the van requiring a medevac to Norfolk.

Six children on the school bus, as well as the two kids riding in the van, went to the hospital immediately. Another nine kids’ parents took them in for treatment later in the day. None of the injuries to the youngsters was serious.

Serious school bus crashes are threatening to become a trend in Suffolk. Less than a week ago, an SUV driver backed into an Oakland Elementary bus, knocked it off the road, and several school children got hurt. A few weeks before that, parents of a Nansemond River High School student injured in a bus collision reached a settlement with the city’s school board.

Even though two of the accidents do not appear to be the fault of the bus drivers, they doubtless raise parents’ concerns about safety. The more important take-home message, then, seems to be that car, truck, van and SUV drivers have to exercise extra caution when sharing the road with buses. Getting kids to and from school unharmed is everyone’s responsibility.

EJL

About the Editors: Lawyers with the Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton law firm do only injury and accident law. We have experience handling car, truck, motorcycle, van and SUV accident cases, and our case results speak for themselves. Our primary office is Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA), but we often represent clients in Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News and Suffolk. If we agree to take your case, we will come to you at home or even in the hospital, to make it easier for you. We are ready to talk to you by phone at (757) 460-7776. We provide free initial confidential injury case consultations. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . Furthermore, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach, Chesapeake & Suffolk Injuryboard, Norfolk, Portsmouth & Hampton Injuryboard, VA-NC Wrongful Death Lawyers, VA & NC Medical Surgery Malpractice Attorneys Blog and Virginia Trucking Accident/Injury Blog to provide important health, safety and legal information to the public.