Fatal Crash caused by school bus’ red light run

On behalf of Terence Gross of Gross & Schuster, P.A. posted in Car Accidents on Monday, November 14, 2011.

It’s every driver’s nightmare: you’re driving down the road and make a turn on a green light. Business as usual. Except this time, a bus runs a red light and crashes into your vehicle.

That horror was one man’s reality last week, and he died as a result of the car accident. The 64-year-old man was reportedly driving near U.S. 98. As he proceeded through a green light on a turn, the driver of a school bus failed to brake in time and crashed into his vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The man, who was from Navarre, had been attempting to turn left onto U.S. 98 from Whispering Pines Boulevard when the bus crashed into the driver’s side door of his Chevrolet Tracker, according to the Panama City News Herald.

The 58-year-old school bus driver, who was headed west on U.S. 98 at the time of the crash, was not transporting any passengers at the time of the accident. The crash apparently blocked traffic for several hours while emergency responders worked at the scene.

The bus driver did sustain minor injuries and was taken to Santa Rosa Medical Center, the News Herald reports. The bus she drove served schools in the Holley-Navarre area. In line with standard procedure, she was placed on administrative leave following the crash.

No charges had been filed as of late last week, but the Florida Highway Patrol described its inquiries as a traffic homicide investigation.

Source: Panama City News Herald, “School bus failed to stop for red light in crash that killed Navarre man,” Lauren Sage Reinlie, Nov. 12, 2011