JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A family whose child was aboard a school bus struck from behind by a semi-truck on Thursday is pursuing legal action, the family’s attorney said.
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A semi-truck slammed into the back of the bus while it was carrying about 30 students across train tracks on Zoo Parkway, Duval County Public Schools said. Four children were injured and taken to the hospital, and one of those families has retained Sam Hartiens, an associate attorney at Campione Law, to investigate the crash and potential claims.
“This is something that you would never expect to happen here in Jacksonville,” Hartiens said. “Once we heard what was going on, this was something that we elected to pursue just because we do specialize in catastrophic cases.”
Hartiens said the child he’s representing is out of the hospital.
“...we are monitoring them for the condition,” he said. “They’re likely needing follow-up care.”
Now, the investigation process begins in trying to gather evidence pertaining to the truck driver.
“The main investigation is trying to figure out what caused this truck to go into the back of the bus,” he said. “Were they distracted? Was there something that didn’t work that should have worked? There’s a lot of questions and more than answers right now.”
Hartiens also described extensive damage from the crash and said the physical evidence will be important to resolving the case.
“It’s really significant, with a lot of force going through it,” he said.
Florida law requires drivers of school buses and certain other passenger or cargo vehicles to stop no closer than 15 feet and no farther than 50 feet from the nearest rail and to look and listen for approaching trains before crossing. It was not immediately clear whether those rules were followed by the bus or the truck.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and Duval County Public Schools did not immediately respond to requests for comment or the crash report. News4JAX knocked on nearby doors of neighbors who may know of the parents and students impacted by this.
The family’s attorney said he will review all available evidence as the investigation continues.
“It seems very intense, not a small little fender bender or a love tap on the back,” Hartiens said. “It’s really significant with a lot of force going through it.”