It is difficult to imagine that an everyday activity could turn to tragedy with just one reckless moment. Recklessness, particularly behind the wheel of a vehicle, can lead to severe traffic accidents. One elderly woman didn’t survive the reckless behavior of a bus driver last month.
The bus driver involved in the fatal Pennsylvania accident is now facing the music following the incident, at least from a criminal law perspective. She is charged with involuntary manslaughter and careless driving. Consequences can and should be serious when a victim is killed in a preventable crash.
The bus accident victim in this case was a 64-year-old woman who reportedly was trying to take her regular walk when tragedy struck. She was hit while in an intersection. Intersections are dangerous, especially for pedestrians, but traffic laws exist to tell all users of the road who has the right of way. In this situation, it sounds as though the pedestrian was following rules but the bus driver wasn’t.
Investigation into the deadly accident so far suggests that there was no justifiable reason why the bus driver didn’t see and hit the victim. Simply put, it sounds like the problem was that the driver wasn’t paying attention to her surroundings, and that careless attitude cost an unsuspecting woman her life.
Someone who is injured by a careless driver or who has lost a loved one to recklessness might have legal options. A Pennsylvania personal injury lawyer can explain the possible legal avenues depending on someone’s specific experience and loss.
Source: The Associated Press, “Pa. school bus driver charged in fatal accident,” Oct. 25, 2013
