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Student Killed When Tractor Trailer Driver On Cellphone Collides With School Bus

By Eddie Farah

Incredible details are coming out about a school bus crash in Citra, Florida that killed one 13-year old girl.

The tractor-trailer driver was talking on his cell phone when he slammed into the school bus Wednesday! Four bystanders who witnessed the accident ran to the school bus and pulled out half of the students from the burning bus.

The Marion County Superintendent of School Jim Yancy says it amazing most of the students were saved. "This was a tragedy, but it's also a miracle, he tells the Ocala Star-Banner.

13-year old middle school student, Frances M. Schee lost her life. Chris Mann, an elevator installer who stopped to help said, "The kid was lodged and I just couldn't get her out. There was nothing I could do."

Nine other students were injured- two critically.

Our last entry on this site was about just this thing - the lack of attention on the road from texting with a cell phone and how few laws there are around the country. California has become the sixth state to enact a law that allows drivers to be ticketed if they are texting on the phone.

21 students in all were on the bus. 30-year old Reinaldo Gonzalez says he was on the phone and just looked up a moment to notice the bus had stopped. Bus driver Gonzales was taken to the hospital with head injuries. Charges against him are pending.

It's time for parents to get behind a bill that died in the state legislature to limit cell phone use for teens. Why not expand it to older drivers as well? And everyone would be forbidden from texting messaging while behind the wheel.

Introduced by Sen. Carey Baker (R-Eustis), it was intended to improve Florida's teen driver record - the third worst crash record in the nation - but the bill died in committee. Sen. Baker would love to hear support from you all.

Common sense dictates that Florida needs to get serious on this before more people die. Cell phone use and particularly texting take too much focus away from the serious business of operating a vehicle on the road- and it is serious business. We are sorry the life of a young girl has been lost in such a tragic accident. #

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Full post as published by Jacksonville Personal Injury Lawyer on September 24, 2008 (boomark / email).