Norfolk, VA Personal Injury Attorney Reports: Student Hit by Car While Boarding School Bus | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

An 8-year-old boy hit by the driver of a Dodge Neon while boarding his school bus in the 17300 block of Route 14 in Mathews County, Virginia (VA), wound up hospitalized with serious injuries. The car’s driver told police he did not see either the school bus or the child at the corner of John Clayton Highway before the accident.

For failing to stop for a loading/unloading school bus, the man has been given a criminal citation. It’s unclear whether other charges will follow. 


View Larger Map

As a car accident attorney and mother, this incident terrifies me, especially because this isn’t the first time an accident like this has happened. If drivers cannot spot a huge yellow school bus with blinking lights and stop signs, then what else could they be overlooking while behind the wheel? This child could face life-altering consequences. We will of course keep him in our thoughts as he recovers in the hospital.

Children deserve safety when heading to and from school. Buses and their drivers can only do so much. It is up to motorists to pay close attention to pedestrians, particularly the smallest ones who spend a lot of time boarding buses. This accident is every parent’s nightmare. The boy and his family deserve justice for this driver’s negligence. A ticket for not stopping for the school bus is simply not enough punishment for potentially changing a child’s life forever.

CD