GUILTY TN - Six elementary students killed in Chattanooga school bus crash, 21 Nov 2016

[JohnPaul]

In schools, while there may be one adult in a room with a group, they're not quite alone as there's an entire school with lots of adults around. On a bus, it's an isolated setting.

what about portable classrooms?

they are isolated from the entire school

Which is why some schools do have bus aides.

i don't see how a bus aide would have helped this situation, and there is really no proof seat belts would have helped either

 

[JeannaT]

what about portable classrooms?

they are isolated from the entire school



i don't see how a bus aide would have helped this situation, and there is really no proof seat belts would have helped either

If the driver's behavior was consistently as bad as they are saying, a bus aide would have shut that down after day 1 IMHO - or he simply wouldn't have done it in the first place. I do wonder what they will learn from cameras.

 

[JeannaT]

http://fox17.com/news/local/chattanooga-bus-driver-previously-had-license-suspended-following-crash

Here's the 7 page traffic report from his September 20th bus accident:

https://www.scribd.com/document/331978097/Walker-Full-MVA-REPORT

Interestingly, he was NOT tested for drugs or alcohol after that accident. I wonder why??

I don't think drivers are tested if there aren't injuries. I know my kids have been in innumerable fender benders, without injuries, where there is a police report and if no one is obviously impaired, they don't bother with drug testing.

 

[katydid23]

I don't think drivers are tested if there aren't injuries. I know my kids have been in innumerable fender benders, without injuries, where there is a police report and if no one is obviously impaired, they don't bother with drug testing.

Yes, but there were 6 deaths and multiple critical injuries. I am shocked he was not drug/alcohol tested.

 

[JeannaT]

Yes, but there were 6 deaths and multiple critical injuries. I am shocked he was not drug/alcohol tested.

Wait - maybe I'm confused. He wasn't drug tested after this accident this week? That linked article was about an earlier fender bender.

 

[flourish]

what about portable classrooms?

they are isolated from the entire school



i don't see how a bus aide would have helped this situation, and there is really no proof seat belts would have helped either

I wouldn't feel particularly comfortable teaching alone in a modular classroom and luckily never had to.

I suppose I figure the driver may have been more reluctant to act in that manner had there been another adult present n?

 

[Bravo]

I did see a report his blood was drawn with this tragedy. IIRC it was the prior accident he wasn't tested.

 

[JeannaT]

Many school busses have seatbelts. California, Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, and Texas require them. There is one reason and one reason only that all school busses don't have seatbelts. They don't have them because of cost, not because it is a safety issue.

Texas doesn't require them, although some school districts opt to put them in.

 

[KaaBoom]

no point IMO,

even if the driver checked to see if everybody was buckled before departure the kids would be taking them off 10 seconds later, kids are kids,

That is not the experience of school districts that use seat belts on their buses.

[video=youtube;Jz-3VI8BS70]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz-3VI8BS70#t=210.595783[/video]

 

[flourish]

Well, yes, you have to buckle babies into carseats. That's true in buses or passenger cars. In buses where there aren't severe discipline problems, there aren't bus aides - but in cases where the children are dangerous to one another or the bus driver -or the children have physical impairments - there aren't bus aides.

Statistically, school buses are VERY VERY safe ways for kids to get to school. Compared to all the other ways to get to school - walking, private cars, buses are safe.

You didn't always have to buckle preschoolers. It's only been in about the last ten years that they added the harnesses to the buses.

Preschoolers age 5 quickly become kindergarteners who are 5. Personally I don't feel three months of summer vacation makes a 5 year old not need to be safely strapped in.

 

[JeannaT]

That is not the experience of school districts that use seat belts on their buses.

[video=youtube;Jz-3VI8BS70]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz-3VI8BS70#t=210.595783[/video]

Interesting, also from a discipline angle. The safer seats had such high seat backs that the students couldn't interact with other students besides those in their actual seat. So there's no bedlam on the bus.

 

[margarita25]

Qmfr:

Speeding before...Infuriating, to say the least...:shakehead:

Such precious, valuable cargo...

My thoughts tonight to the families who lost their children, and to the little ones still recovering from their injuries.

No matter who who who's who, the kids will never be brought back. Hopefully some measures can be put in place so something like this doesn't happen again.

I'm still wondering about the validity of the comment re: "are yall ready to die".

(Sorry, typo autocorrect, meant to type that no matter who sues who(m), that will never bring back the kids).

 

[K_Z]

Walker’s mother said she spoke to him after the crash, reports CBS News correspondent Manuel Bojorquez.

Watch: Parents had complained about Tennessee bus driver before wreck

“He said, ‘I love you mom, I’ve been in an accident on the bus’ and he said, ‘Mom there are kids dead, I hope it’s not my fault,’” she said. Charged with five counts of vehicular homicide, police say Walker was driving well over the 30-mile-per-hour speed limit. He received his commercial driver’s license in April and was involved in a minor bus crash just two months ago.

Walker has no criminal history and the results of tests for drugs and alcohol in his system are still pending. The bus company that hired him – Durham School Services – said they are working with investigators, but did not address our questions about reports that parents here had complained about Walker.

BBM

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime...i-hope-its-not-my-fault/ar-AAkET47?li=BBnb7Kz

 

[skibaboo]

I don't know what's going on here. So, the wreck was at 317 Talley Road. Below is an article showing a group of cheerleaders praying over the accident site, and you can clearly see the address on the mailbox is "317".

[video=cnn;us/2016/11/22/driver-charged-school-bus-crash-martin-savidge-newday-pkg.cnn]http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/22/us/tennessee-chattanooga-school-bus-accident/index.html[/video]


So you google 317 Talley Road, Chattanooga, TN and here's your map. 317 is the 3rd house on the left, after the intersection of Talley and Midwoode Road. At that stretch, you can't land the little yellow guy on the road - and only that stretch. You can land him anywhere else in the whole area.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/3...0x88606728c4457fa3:0x4b37e5e7cdb94 d82?hl=en


Does anyone else see it differently? Sorry to pick nits, I just noticed this with the other Tennessee horrific crime, and now here it is again with this one.

I haven't had any problems. I dropped the little fella on the street from your link without issue? I believe the address with the tree in the front yard, that the bus was wrapped around is actually across the street from 317.

I believe it is this tree here

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.0243029,-85.2348314,3a,75y,116.17h,89.94t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sfjlknW_MgQjmsLpHffU3PQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

Lots more greenery in the streetview images but look to the left and the white painted home next door, and the brick mailbox (it says 318) and compare with this photo of the crash

Image Source

 

[oceanblueeyes]

Qmfr:



(Sorry, typo autocorrect, meant to type that no matter who sues who(m), that will never bring back the kids).

That is certainly true but maybe it will save other children from meeting this same fate. This man shouldn't have been driving the school bus period and his attitude when approached about his reckless driving should have caused him to be fired immediately. From what he said after being read the letter from the concerned parent shows he had no intention of being a professional and safe bus driver. He was very arrogant as if the rules didn't apply to him and he would do what he dam*ed well pleased. GAH!

 

[Bravo]

Skibs you are pro. Thank You pro mapper queen :goldcrown:

 

[Bravo]

It always comes down to $. Sadly SMH.

 

[JeannaT]

I hate to chase this question down a rabbit trail, but am I the only one whose google maps does this? Not allow the little yellow guy to land in the road where the bus accident occurred? Everybody else doesn't see that break in the blue line right at the address 317 Talley?

 

[Really?]

huh ?

not sure where you come from, but in schools around here there is only one adult with a group of children all day long.....they are called teachers in the classroom

I think the poster was referring to a driver busy Driving.

I agree.....there should be an additional adult to supervise.

 

[Woodland]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/11/2...was-known-for-speeding.html?intcmp=latestnews

And this is a critical pitfall of school transportation outsourcing-- the district loses the ability to hire/ fire, influence, discipline, or control personnel who have direct interaction with students.



Another issue with "outsourcing" school transportation that is rarely discussed is that in many geographic areas, one company essentially has a monopoly on the market. Meaning, there really is no competition for bids, as there is often not another company that is close enough, or big enough, to carry out the needs of the contract with a large district.

UBM - Just imagine the tens of millions or more that would be available to various municipalities for school programs if they were not paying out for wrongful death lawsuits on behalf of some of their other employees.

Justifying the act that results in the need to payout for wrongful death suits and speaking out for better school and other local programs will never work - there will never be enough money to go around. Jmo.