More sad news - PLEASE watch for kids getting on/off buses!

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/5826877/

 

horrific

 

There are no words................:cry::cry::cry:

 

:cry::cry:

 

no child should ever die before his\hers parents.

 

Can we blame these ridiculous early release Wednesdays? People just aren't looking out for children at that time of day.

 

My heart aches for the families of this child and of the driver....I can only imagine if my Granny was living and had been this driver....her lovely and caring spirit would have been scarred forever. How tragic for all!

One split second folks....no matter what your age....no matter walking or driving....One split second....life changed forever!:cry:

 

I used to be an IT guy at Waste Industries and one of the most outgoing and friendly drivers in the entire company hit and killed a kid one day who was riding on the shoulder of a road and fell off his bike. The driver ran over the little boy and killed him. The guy was traveling 5 miles below the speed limit, and everyone who saw the situation said that there was nothing the driver could have done. The parents didn't sue the company as was expected, and even dropped off a letter for him at his branch saying that they harbored no ill wil toward him at all.

IStill, it devastated and haunted him for the rest of his life, and this happy go lucky portly man lost 50 pounds and became completely introverted. He never drove a vehicle (at work or not) ever again. At his funeral (he died of cancer 6 years later) his wife told me that after the accident he hardly ate and couldn't sleep more than two hours at a time, waking up screaming for the kid to get out of the way. Truly sad for the kid, his parents, and the driver.

 

:?:
Rolling eyes at this one????

Why not place the responsibility where it should be, on the driver of the vehicle that hit the child? Knowing that schools have started, albeit not the same schedule as everywhere else, one would rationally think that all drivers would be conscious of the fact that kids and buses will require more operator diligence.

 

Aren't those big yellow things with the flashing lights and 'stop' signs sticking out hard to miss?

 

I was just about to type the same thing Wayne.... big, yellow, kinda hard to miss. I don't care where I am, if I see a bus slowing down, or just accelerating from a stop, I give an extra glance around to look for children.

:cry: Very sad for everyone involved

 

I'm always paranoid about people on bikes when I pass them! All it takes is a second! :cry:

 

My heart, thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved. May God give them peace and comfort in such a tragic time. I couldn't possibly imagine the pain.

 

Whoah nellie!

I disagree with LOVE! :lol:

Of the 11 counties that I travel the ONLY one that I recogonize is Fayetteville, they make SURE that you KNOW the speed limit when you are approaching a school zone. Those fools have flashing lights AND your speed when you are approaching a school zone.

Hey I don't have kids, I don't know who is year round and who's not. What I DO know is that there is NO sign from left off my road to Polenta Elem (300 yds away) AND that there is NO sign coming from 42 - Left on cleveland where the new elementary school is and vice versa.


for example, yesterday I was on Raleigh Rd IN Raleigh a *divided* highway and some jackass jammed on brakes in front of me when the buss stopped on the OTHER SIDE OF THE RD!!!! HELLO!!!! The school system isn't going to let little Johnny or Suzie CROSS 4 lanes. I just about rear ended the dude in front of me because he didn't know the rules of the road. Hell, I could have been seriously injured as well as him and his occupants.



End of story ....


I feel bad for everyone involved, but there MUST be a way so that this doesn't happen again.

 

Oh I do blame the driver. I just think some folks may not realize school has started and that buses run almost all of the time. Perhaps grannie thought the bus was in training mode, but I most certainly put all blame on her!

 

In a tragedy such as this accident, blame should not be the topic of discussion as it is pretty clear what happened and who is responsible. Each one of us may be guilty of not always thinking rationally about our driving responsibilities, school schedules, or even the next turn when we are driving....have you ever missed your turn? answered a call? played with the radio? had "highway hypnosis"? been distracted by kids? looked over at a wreck?

One split moment, just one second... and any distraction while driving, at any age, can change your life or the life of others....forever! (And if you always ignore everything but "the road"...please excuse my remarks and I pray that you will never make a driving mistake like this or lose a loved one due to carelessness).

Our awareness has been triggered from something horrible and as a person unrelated to either family involved, I would hope that we all could consider actually being in either family's shoes....whether bearing the loss of a child, sister, niece, etc. or holding a grandmother, mother, wife, etc. as they weep with guilt....of which any would be terrible.

The parents probably feel guilt since they felt secure to put their child on the bus, the driver who hit the child probably feels guilt (no example needed) and the bus driver probably feels guilt that they followed procedure in putting out the "flasher arm" but did not take the time to make sure all traffic had come to a complete stop before they opened the bus door. One decision or one second may have saved everyone from feeling any guilt.

We often hear news of thugs and murderers and post our "judgements" but this is not a story shouting out for us to act as judges to place blame on someone....not the driver for their mistake, not the child or parent for their unawareness nor the bus driver for their missed "cue"...

This is a time to point out how each driver on the road can (and needs to) improve, warn parents & children of bus stop dangers and emphasize the importance of bus driver's safety awareness...Not a time to point fingers! (My heart hurts for all involved!!!)

 

Well said.

 

My heart truly goes out to everyone involved BUT I have to wonder why a person over 80 yrs. old, who can't tell the difference between a stopped school bus with ALL of their safety lights, signs etc. going and a bus that is just stopped at an intersection, would still have their drivers license!!!

 

You should have been with me yesterday. :boxing:

Lady in a white caddy (the extra long version) about side swiped me, she was about 90. :?

 

This morning on the news they made a point of reminding everyone about the rules and you are correct, if the highway is divided and 4 lanes or more, you don't have to stop. Maybe there should be more emphasis on this when u get your driver's license. Esp when its time to renew, all they make you do is take a sign test, maybe they should add rules about stopped school buses too. :cry: I feel very sad for everyone involved.