Boy killed by bus at Fort Wilderness

[Magicbus]

I know that the WDW bus drivers are feeling a deep sadness regarding the accident. I wonder how does the family and the little girl move on and how does the driver live with it? Things like this only happen in the real world and not at Walt Disney World.

 

[mousebrain]

I first hand almost had this happen to one of my kids.... you have to be sooo careful. She got on her bike and we were riding and a bus came by and for some reason she just kinda veered right for it without thinking.... guess this happens to kids.... but at the last second came to her senses and veered the other way. I will never forget the look on the bus drivers face..... its so easy to get caught up being happy.... you don't think anything can happen.... its the easiest time for accidents to happen.

Hopefully he just went straight to heaven from Disney and is riding his bike like nothing happened up there. My heart goes out to this family. You gotta be really careful in the happiest place on earth.

MB

 

[jriae2000]

When my wife was 10 her best friend had a go cart. They were in his driveway and he told her to get on the back and go for a ride. She said no and he took off. Went into the road to turn around and was run over by a drunk trying to get to the bar down the road. Right in front of her. This was 25 yrs ago and she still struggles with it. She was told by a counsler a few years ago that children under 15 will never be able to proccess death, especially if they see it. Just not able to get past it in their minds. Pray for this little girl. My wife got upset for her when she heard about this. Her exact words were " she will never be the same happy little girl".

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

I know that the WDW bus drivers are feeling a deep sadness regarding the accident. I wonder how does the family and the little girl move on and how does the driver live with it? Things like this only happen in the real world and not at Walt Disney World.

Things like this happen in the real world all the time. After 21 yrs as a Paramedic I have just about seen it all. I know the tragedy of an incident like this, frankly, I am surprised that given the sheer number of people and events happening at WDW that they dont have more. I know it may be hard to imagine right now, but I think that Disney on a whole is probably safer than most folks hometowns.

 

[DisneyBishops]

what heart I have left goes out to this family and bus driver.

Please hug your kids everyday and tell them you love them. It can all change with the blink of an eye.

 

[Luvchefmic]

another thought..

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I posted yesterday of my feelings of sorrow and shock. Last night (as many others) I had the family on my mind. As an EMT (emergency medical technician) for over 20 yrs I had been at too many of these scenes. My additional thought is the little girl that was with her friend. I pray she gets into grief counseling, therapy, whatever..quickly. This will be with her the rest of her life. The driver also.

The thing that really bothers me to is the news coverage tv, internet, hard copy newspapers; I realize they bring it up for statistical purposes but I wish the news could just get reported and not in the same story reiterate the last bus accident, the monorail accident, etc. It was a tragic accident God Bless all that were involved.

Another thing that is upsetting to me as like I previously said I know about accident scenes and am very familiar with the workings of FHP (Florida Hwy Patrol for those that don't live here). They do a stellar investigation. I also know that as a wife of a truck driver that the avg time he gets training when he starts a new co. driving 18 wheelers as an employee pales in comparison to the training to Disney bus training....not that I'm suggesting fault here..just saying it because right away people start critiqueing and the usual conclusion is to point fingers of blame. So when you hear those things or read them please remember that for the sake of the driver.

Sorry so long winded. Prayers.

 

[lathamary]

Hopefully he just went straight to heaven from Disney and is riding his bike like nothing happened up there.

I found this comforting. The "Eternal Disney World". Still so, so sad and beyond words, but I hadn't thought of it that way, and I think it's a good thought. Thank you.

 

[polkadotsuitcase]

Hopefully he just went straight to heaven from Disney and is riding his bike like nothing happened up there. My heart goes out to this family. You gotta be really careful in the happiest place on earth.

MB

I found this comforting. The "Eternal Disney World". Still so, so sad and beyond words, but I hadn't thought of it that way, and I think it's a good thought. Thank you.

I agree -- this really struck me. My 10 and 12yo boys were upset about the incident and this gave them something to hang on to that they could imagine; thank you.

So much sad news lately.

 

[Memph1s]

This is so sad.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to all involved.

..... I know the tragedy of an incident like this, frankly, I am surprised that given the sheer number of people and events happening at WDW that they dont have more. I know it may be hard to imagine right now, but I think that Disney on a whole is probably safer than most folks hometowns.

I agree.

You just have to be so careful with and around kids. I don't know how many times we have been looping and had children walk or ride right out in front of us. They can be looking you right in the eye and still walk out in the road. It is such a hard balance between keeping your kids safe and letting them be kids and have fun.


I really would like to see Disney do something with the sidewalk on Big Pine Rd. There is just no margin for error for anyone, pedestrians or drivers. I know you can't make anything accident proof but the sidewalk in some places has nothing separating it from the road and most of the time there is only a few inches. There is just too much traffic and too many distractions. Most of the other sidewalks are set back by several feet from the road.

 

[Shan-man]

I certainly agree with everyone that this is a tragedy. And while the last thing I would want to do is to heap guilt upon misery, one has to ask, where were the parents? A 9- and 11-year-old were out riding alone along Big Pine!? I'm sorry, but that is inexcusable. Is it possible they slipped away unnoticed and against parental prohibition. Sure. Is it possible that something unpreventable happened to cause the accident, that might have happened even with the parents there (like a chain breaking, or a branch getting caught in the wheel). Sure. But let's not kid ourselves here. The people most responsible for the safety of this child were not the bus driver, or the sidewalk planners, or the speed limit setter, the 11 year-old 'guardian'. They are the parents, and they were nowhere to be seen.

Please, care for your children... they are YOUR responsibility. (let the flames begin)

 

[polkadotsuitcase]

According to this article, the family had lost their only other child a few years ago. I cannot even begin to imagine. Just tragic.

 

[DisneyBishops]

I certainly agree with everyone that this is a tragedy. And while the last thing I would want to do is to heap guilt upon misery, one has to ask, where were the parents? A 9- and 11-year-old were out riding alone along Big Pine!? I'm sorry, but that is inexcusable. Is it possible they slipped away unnoticed and against parental prohibition. Sure. Is it possible that something unpreventable happened to cause the accident, that might have happened even with the parents there (like a chain breaking, or a branch getting caught in the wheel). Sure. But let's not kid ourselves here. The people most responsible for the safety of this child were not the bus driver, or the sidewalk planners, or the speed limit setter, the 11 year-old 'guardian'. They are the parents, and they were nowhere to be seen.

Please, care for your children... they are YOUR responsibility. (let the flames begin)

While not wanting to flame. This could only come from someone who doesn't have any children.

 

[Since1971]

DisneyBishops, I respectfully disagree. We go to Fort Wilderness numerous times a year and Disney practically every weekend. I can't even begin to count the numer of times I have seen parents not watching their kids at Fort Wilderness. Not only not watching, but not even being around. Why would someone feel like they can just let their kids loose at Fort Wilderness? I am not suggesting that the parents in this case are guilty of this. I was not present at the time. However, our children are our responsibility and we need to make sure we are there with them. When I was that age growing up here in Florida, we still were never allowed to just roam around Disney on our own or with just a friend. Is just wasn't safe and it wasn't smart.

I feel so horrible for the parents, the people on the bus, and the bus driver. I would never wish this on anyone. If nothing else, I hope that at least this can be prevented from happening again. Oh, and yes, I do have children and yes, we do not allow them to go off on their own whether it be at Disney or elsewhere.

 

[clkelley]

I certainly agree with everyone that this is a tragedy. And while the last thing I would want to do is to heap guilt upon misery, one has to ask, where were the parents? A 9- and 11-year-old were out riding alone along Big Pine!? I'm sorry, but that is inexcusable. Is it possible they slipped away unnoticed and against parental prohibition. Sure. Is it possible that something unpreventable happened to cause the accident, that might have happened even with the parents there (like a chain breaking, or a branch getting caught in the wheel). Sure. But let's not kid ourselves here. The people most responsible for the safety of this child were not the bus driver, or the sidewalk planners, or the speed limit setter, the 11 year-old 'guardian'. They are the parents, and they were nowhere to be seen.

Please, care for your children... they are YOUR responsibility. (let the flames begin)

I also totally disagree here. When I was that age, I was riding my bicycle all over town through residential streets, crossed busy 5 lane roads, and rode along those roads on the sidewalks. Granted there were not 40 foot buses and big motorhomes running through those roads constantly. But it is what kids do!! I rode to school, I rode to the community swimming pool, etc., etc.

I was actually in a bicycle accident about that age. I had a new 10-speed and accidently went into traffic. I hit a car that wasn't moving, and me and my bike went over the hood. Praise the lord I wasn't injured, except for a minor scar on my ankle. However, after the accident, I got another bike, and I continued to ride all over the place.

It was an accident, pure and simple. As Florida residents, it was quite possible that family spent lots of time at Fort Wilderness, and the kid could have practically grown up there and knew the place like the back of his hand.

If that had been the case with my boys, I very likely would have let them ride bikes around the Fort without me. There were lots of places we visited frequently where we let the boys do things on their own at that age.

 

[Magicbus]

As posted, drivers do get a lot of training in order to become WDW bus drivers, but maybe a little more will be added. Not sure what it could be, but it should be looked at.
Disney does not consider having the needed license and experience enough. In addition to the regular CM training, all potential drivers must go through an intensive written program, driving program, and knowledge of WDW roads program. They don't hire any drivers, just candidates to be a driver. If they don't pass the CDL license test, which I believe is more difficult than the one for the general public, and even if they already have a license, have been driving a bus forever, that they will not become a WDW bus driver. Everyone starts at the beginning. Having said that, some drivers are better than others.

 

[m1tchells]

DisneyBishops, I respectfully disagree. We go to Fort Wilderness numerous times a year and Disney practically every weekend. I can't even begin to count the numer of times I have seen parents not watching their kids at Fort Wilderness. Not only not watching, but not even being around. Why would someone feel like they can just let their kids loose at Fort Wilderness? I am not suggesting that the parents in this case are guilty of this. I was not present at the time. However, our children are our responsibility and we need to make sure we are there with them. When I was that age growing up here in Florida, we still were never allowed to just roam around Disney on our own or with just a friend. Is just wasn't safe and it wasn't smart.

I feel so horrible for the parents, the people on the bus, and the bus driver. I would never wish this on anyone. If nothing else, I hope that at least this can be prevented from happening again. Oh, and yes, I do have children and yes, we do not allow them to go off on their own whether it be at Disney or elsewhere.

Just curious....not argumentative, i promise! But at what "age" does everyone think it is appropriate for children to play unattended or ride their bicycles at the Fort, or any campground or at home for that matter? My son is grown (26 next week) but I know we wouldn't have thought twice about letting him go play with a friend at that age. I mean, we aren't talking about 4 and 5 year olds. As children grow older, their bounderies grow as well. And how do you teach them responsibility without giving them the chance to be responsible. I personally don't think this was parental irresponsibility at all. Just a tragic, tragic accident. Again, just my thoughts. Please no anger.

I first hand almost had this happen to one of my kids.... you have to be sooo careful. She got on her bike and we were riding and a bus came by and for some reason she just kinda veered right for it without thinking.... guess this happens to kids.... but at the last second came to her senses and veered the other way. I will never forget the look on the bus drivers face..... its so easy to get caught up being happy.... you don't think anything can happen.... its the easiest time for accidents to happen.
MB

There but for the grace of God go I. As in this case, parents were there. Accidents happen regardless. Again, tragic, but blameless.

 

[Ellen aka Snow White]

"As posted, drivers do get a lot of training in order to become WDW bus drivers, but maybe a little more will be added"

Just wondering what type of training could really be done to help prevent this type of accident. As we know of the story, the young boy hit the rear side of the bus - what could the driver have been trained to do???
Another thought - if the parents were riding bikes right along with them could they have predicted the child was going to swerve off the sidewalk and hit the bus? Children can and do get hurt all the time WITH parent supervision - in this case I don't see how it would have helped to have had the parents there.

It was an unfortunate accident. My prayers go out to everyone involved.

 

[Judy40]

This is just so sad. It puts a damper on my excitment for our trip. Here we go to a place that brings so many great memories and this family now has the most worst memory. Regardless of blame or training, this is just so sad.

 

[DaveInTN]

Another thought - if the parents were riding bikes right along with them could they have predicted the child was going to swerve off the sidewalk and hit the bus? Children can and do get hurt all the time WITH parent supervision - in this case I don't see how it would have helped to have had the parents there.

These were my thoughts as well. If the parents had been with the children they would have each still been controlling their own bikes, and there is likely nothing the parents could have done to stop this terrible accident from occuring. Things can happen in a split second, and we can't always change that.

I'm sure the parents are beating themselves up over their decision to let the 9 year old and 11 year old go on ahead to the arcade. But we have done the exact same thing; allowing our DD9 and DD12 to go ahead to the marina and wait for us. Could a terrible accident have occured? Of course. But terrible things could happen with or without us there, and at their ages I felt it wasn't inappropriate to let them go on ahead as long as they stayed together. I don't want to make my kids live in fear waiting for horrible things to happen, as long as we as parents make every attempt to keep them from clearly dangerous situations, which change with their age and level of maturity. It's debatable whether allowing kids that age to ride bikes along Big Pine is in the "clearly dangerous" category. We've allowed it in the past...and might not in the future. But hindsight is certainly 20/20; something those poor parents didn't have the benefit of that we now do.

 

[jriae2000]

Only one person has all the answers. Havent seen that post YET. May be a while. Sad for everyone left behind.