The driver of the Lynx bus that struck and killed a 10-year-old boy on November 5 had a driving record with no more than the average number of collisions, the Orlando Sentinel reported today. His work-related driving record included several commercial vehicle accidents that did not involve injuries, and his personal driving record includes one citation for a 2007 car accident in Orange County.
At about 7 p.m. on Thursday, November 5, however, the bus driver struck two boys who were crossing a street in Kissimmee.
According to Kissimmee police, two brothers, aged ten and twelve, were trying to cross busy Columbia Avenue at the Dyer Boulevard intersection. They were in a crosswalk and had a green light. There was heavy construction in the area, and both streets were partially closed, which may be why a police spokesperson said that the Lynx bus also had a green light.
In any case, the bus turned left onto Columbia Avenue and struck both boys. The 10 year-old was pulled under the bus and was pronounced dead on the scene. The 12 year-old was seriously injured in the bus accident but is expected to recover.
Too Soon to Know Whether Bus Driver Will Face Charges
After the fatal accident, the bus driver was interviewed by Kissimmee police and subjected to a standard blood-alcohol test. Kissimmee police spokesperson Stacie Miller said the investigation of the wreck is ongoing and it was too soon to say whether the driver will face charges related to the children’s injuries and wrongful death.
According to Lynx spokesperson Matthew Friedman, the driver had worked for the company for nearly seven years. He had been disciplined several times for unexcused absences but had no other personnel issues in his file.
His file does indicate that the driver had been involved in several commercial vehicle accidents during his time with Lynx. In one case, the bus he was driving struck and slightly dented a car while the driver was making a turn. In another case, the driver was involved in a collision when trying to avoid the scene of a car wreck, and the collision broke the bus’s side mirror.
Friedman indicated that the number of motor vehicle accidents this driver had been involved in was not unusual for a commercial driver.
The man’s personal driving record indicates that he was involved in a car or truck accident in Orange County in 2007 and was issued a traffic citation.
The bus accident that ended in the Kissimmee boy’s death was the first pedestrian accident the driver has been involved in, as far as authorities know.
The family of the two boys is hosting a public vigil this evening in honor of their dead son. The event will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the site of the accident, the intersection of Columbia Avenue near Dyer Boulevard. It will involve prayers and a candlelight service and will be the only service the family will hold that will be open to the public, according to the family’s attorney.
Sources:
• Orlando Sentinel, “Family of boy killed by Lynx bus to host vigil,” Henry Pierson Curtis and Anika Myers Palm, November 10, 2010
• Orlando Sentinel, “Kissimmee police: Brothers hit by Lynx bus – 10-year-old killed,” Jeff Weiner, November 5, 2010
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