New York is one of the busiest and fastest-moving cities on the planet, as well as home to nearly 2 million children. One of the difficulties of public safety and law enforcement officials in the “city that never sleeps” is balancing the need for transit with the need for safety.
A 10-year-old girl was killed in front of her brother as the two made their way to school. The incident happened in East New York where a school bus struck the victim while she crossed an intersection in a crosswalk just before school began at 7 a.m.
The driver of the bus was taken into custody for questioning after the incident. The 61-year-old man may be subjected to testing for drugs and alcohol while investigators attempt to determine if he ran a stop sign just before the collision.
An advocacy group for alternate forms of transport in the city claims the accident could have been prevented. It also reported that the girl’s death is at least the 20th walking victim of a car crash in New York so far in 2020, as well as the fourth victim in 48 hours.
“This is devastating, and my heart goes out to the family and school community,” said the chancellor of city schools. “We are providing all support necessary during this difficult time.”
Victims of bus accidents and the survivors of bus crash fatalities have the right to seek financial damages in civil court. This remains a possibility even if no criminal charges came out of the incident. An attorney can review a case and determine the best way forward.
