Every member of the girls’ junior varsity basketball team from the Newport Christian School in Newport Beach was reportedly injured when their van failed to stop in traffic and rear-ended another vehicle, ultimately becoming part of a five-vehicle crash.
The November 16 crash on the 91 Freeway in Riverside, near the Adams Street exit, left all eastbound lanes closed for nearly an hour in the early afternoon. The road was partially reopened at that point, and the crash was completely cleared within two hours, although delays lingered.
Thirteen people, including all eleven girls on the team, were taken to area hospitals. The most seriously injured victim was said to have a broken bone. At least one driver of another vehicle involved in the crash was among those taken for medical treatment.
Bus Crashes a Daily Occurrence
Buses, including school buses and vans used to transport students, are involved in a lot more crashes than you might suspect. In 2015, there were about 53,000 crashes resulting in property damage, about 15,000 crashes with an injury, and 257 crashes that led to a fatal injury. Only 295 people died in bus crashes that year, compared to a total of more than 35,000 in all motor vehicle crashes.
The good news for bus passengers, but not for the pedestrians and other motorists involved in bus crashes, is that the majority of victims in those fatal bus crashes (246 of 295, or more than 83 percent) were outside a bus and not passengers on one. Even when an occupant of a bus is a victim, it’s more likely to be a bus driver than a passenger.
School Bus Crash Risk Low
School bus crashes are infrequent events, although they still happen. Historically, they account for less than 0.5 percent of all crashes and an even smaller portion of all traffic fatalities. It’s still not difficult to find examples, though, and we’ve seen a few recently that not only involved buses but affected other school sports teams.
A bus crash in Missouri in September claimed the life of a middle school running coach, while in October three people on a bus carrying a high school football team were injured when another vehicle crossed the median. (The driver of the other vehicle died in that collision.) The players from Newport Beach were fortunate that the end result of their crash was not so bad, although more vehicles were involved.
Orange County Bus Accident Lawyer
When you’ve been the victim in a motor vehicle accident of any kind, including a bus crash, call on the experienced team at Kohan & Bablove Injury Attorneys. We understand all the potential complications in this kind of case and have helped many clients settle their cases with those who caused them harm.
We also offer a free, no-obligation consultation to all new clients to discuss the details of their injuries. Give us a call today at 949.535.1341 or fill out the form below to learn more or schedule an appointment.
