Car accident involving school bus injures several in New York

A multi-vehicle crash in Queens has sent several people to local hospitals, according to police. New York authorities say the car accident involved a school bus and two other cars. There is still some question as to how many people were injured in the crash, but so far, no criminal charges have been filed in association with the case. 

The accident report does not shed light on how the accident occurred, simply stating that two vehicles collided and that somehow the bus became involved. Both cars ended up off the road following the collision, and the bus ran off the road and struck a building with enough force to cave in a wall. Fifteen children were on board the bus at that time and, though they appeared shaken, were not injured. 

The bus driver, the drivers of the two involved cars and an employee of the store that was struck by the bus all suffered injuries. It is possible that other people may also have been hurt, as EMS gave conflicting reports as of this writing. All four individuals were transferred to local hospitals for treatment. 

Obviously, there is far too little information available at this time to determine who was initially at fault for this car accident, which means an ongoing investigation by New York authorities will be necessary to determine fault. Once authorities have determined which driver, if any, was responsible for the crash, that driver may face criminal charges. Additionally, and even in the absence of criminal charges, the other injured parties may choose to file personal injury suits in a civil setting. Though criminal charges are not a necessary prerequisite, there will have to be appropriate evidence of negligence on the driver’s part in order for these suits to be successful. 

Source: CBS New York, “Crash Sends School Bus Into Queens Building, Leaves Several People Injured“, Dec.19, 2014