Several students were sent to the hospital in East Haven on Tuesday morning when their school bus got involved in a multi-vehicle crash. The crash occurred on March 3rd around 7:40 am on Hemingway Avenue as reported by police.
The accident involved a packed school bus, a tractor-trailer, and two passenger vehicles. East Haven police said that drivers of the tractor-trailer, school bus, and passenger vehicles were unhurt. However, one of the children in the passenger vehicle had to be taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
School Bus Belonged to Joseph Melillo Middle School
Police Department spokesman Lt. Joseph Murgo confirmed that the school bus belonged to Joseph Melillo Middle School and was taking the students to school. Fire Chief Matthew Marcarelli stated that a total of 4 students were transported to Yale New Haven Hospital where they were treated for minor injuries.
Another school bus was later arranged to take the rest of the students to school.
Tractor-Trailer Made an Evasive Move
Initial investigation revealed that the accident happened in the left north bound lane of Hemingway Avenue in a line of traffic. Marcarelli reported that when the line of traffic came to stop, the tractor-trailer tried to avoid rear-ending another car by making an evasive move.
This resulted in a chain reaction accident that involved three other vehicles. Murgo said that the tractor-trailer driver had been cited for not maintaining adequate distance with the car in front.
All injured students that were taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital for further evaluation were discharged later that day. However, Murgo said that the school bus sustained the heaviest damage out of all four vehicles and that the accident could have been a lot worse.
Schools Buses Are Part of Common Carrier Law
‘Common Carrier’ is a general term describing any business that transports goods or people for a specified fee. School bus accident attorneys are aware that a special set of rules cover buses run by the city or school district.
These rules are very different from the ones applying to individual car owners. There is no denying the fact that victims of a bus accident have the same rights as that of an automobile crash. However, it can get difficult for a school bus accident lawyer to defend those rights because of the inherent complications associated with these special regulations.
Common carrier laws along with special rules can make it difficult for a victim to file a personal injury claim whether they are children, students, or parents. It’s vital to speak with an experienced attorney as soon as possible since Connecticut allows only six months for an injured party to file a claim against the county or city.