Travis County parents blame fast highway for school bus crash

Sheriff’s deputies in Travis County are trying to determine whether an unsafe driver caused a Tuesday morning car accident with a Manor ISD school bus. Some of the parents of the 49 students aboard believe the real problem is the placement of bus stops along 55-mph Littig Road.

Worried parents gathered at the crash site after hearing that a car had smashed into the front of the elementary school bus. Three students were hospitalized, including two children who were boarding the bus when a Chevrolet Impala struck it.

The number 58 school bus was making a routine stop near Jones Road to pick up two cousins, a 7-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy. The girl found a seat as the 20-year veteran bus driver noticed a car coming toward the bus at a high rate of speed. The boy was still standing.

Police say the Presidential Meadows Elementary School bus driver acted quickly. The driver grabbed and held the boy, just before the Impala struck the front of the bus. The cousins and a third child were transported to Dell Children’s Medical Center with minor injuries.

The Chevy driver was not as lucky. Travis County medical units say the accident victim was admitted to University Medical Center in Brackenridge with a broken arm and leg.

No reported charges have been filed. The bus driver told investigators that she saw the car speeding toward the bus. The Chevy driver apparently noticed the stopped vehicle and braked, but was unable to stop in time.

Parents at the accident scene said that Littig Road is filled with hills and curves that obscure drivers’ vision. Many felt the highway-level speed limit contributes to the risk of bad accidents, especially for school buses that must stop frequently along the route to pick up young children.

Some parents suggested the installation of more warning signs or flashing lights to let drivers know that school bus stops are part of the highway’s regular traffic pattern.

Source: kvue.com, “Three students, driver injured in Manor ISD school bus crash,” Ashley Goudeau and Jessica Vess, May 15, 2012