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Fatal New Jersey Truck Accident: Dump Truck Collides With Elementary School Bus

On Behalf of | Feb 17, 2012 | Car Accidents, Truck Accidents

One of three triplet sisters was killed in a New Jersey truck accident when a dump truck collided with a school bus full of elementary school children, sending the bus crashing into a traffic-light pole. Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the crash at the four-way intersection. The road traveled by the school bus was controlled by a stop sign and the road travelled by the dump truck had a flashing yellow light.

Seventeen other children were injured in the New Jersey truck accident. The 11-year-old’s two sisters were among the injured, one suffering serious injuries and the other only minor. Students reported that they were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the truck-bus crash.

Investigators are trying to determine whether the bus was crossing the four-way intersection when it was hit by the dump truck or if it was attempting to turn. One boy who was riding the school bus told the Associated Press, “[T]his big truck just came and slammed right into us.”

The Federal Highway Safety Administration (FHWA) reports that, on national roadways, 45 percent of all motor vehicle accidents occur in intersections. A stunning 1/5 of all fatal motor vehicle crashes also occur at intersections.

Side-impact crashes are the most common type of intersection car accident. More importantly, side-impact crashes result in almost 1/3 of all car crash fatalities.

Whether due to driver inattention, excessive speed, inadequate surveillance before crossing an intersection or simply disregarding traffic control devices like stop signs and stop lights, intersection safety has not markedly improved over the last 25 years according to the FHWA.

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