FHP: Boy's flat tire caused fatal Disney bus crash

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news...ey-bus-crash-reports-20100614,0,4690839.story

 

[Polydweller]

http://www.wesh.com/entertainment/23893578/detail.html

The Wesh story has a couple of typos but adds information about his handle bars being crooked. Still a very sad story.

 

[ParrotBill]

So he was riding with a flat rear tire, soft front tire, and crooked handlebars, confirmed by FHP at the scene and also by the girl with which he was riding.

Makes the accountability of the parent all that much higher to me, and all the more inappropriate that their first action was to publicly accuse the bus driver of leaving the road and their second action was to file a lawsuit.

Very sad. Glad my 10 year old doesn't ride a bike yet.

 

[squirrel]

Sad story.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Their chances of winning that lawsuit have diminished considerably, I'd say--

 

[FireDancer]

I'm glad the details were released. The press and some people on the boards were pretty quick to point the finger at the driver before the police even did any investigating. I think the family was even on the news blaming Disney and the driver before they had any actual facts but now they don't want to even comment.

When Disney is at fault for something the press is all over it for days (monorail accident) but when it turns out it isn't Disney's fault there is so much less ink.

 

[seashoreCM]

Are they sure that the flat tire and bent handlebars and other problems with the bike were not the aftermath of the crash?

 

[Uncleromulus]

I would certainly think they were sure before releasing such a finding.
Don't forget that the girl with him already admitted the tire was flat.

 

[skyp4WDW]

Disney is not completely blameless....There is an extremely small space between the bike path and road at the point where the accident occurred. There should be a rail there because that spot was an accident waiting to happen. God bless that poor little boy.

 

[OverlookedAttraction]

What a sad story, no matter who was at fault.

 

[FireDancer]

Disney is not completely blameless....There is an extremely small space between the bike path and road at the point where the accident occurred. There should be a rail there because that spot was an accident waiting to happen. God bless that poor little boy.

Almost every bike path around here buts up to the road with no rail and bike lanes have no rail between the them and the traffic lanes of the road. I can't blame Disney for not having rails between every path and the road no matter where they are.

 

[Uncleromulus]

I agree. I can't recall ever seeing a rail between ANY bike path/lane and a road.
Bikes need to stay on their paths and vehicles to stay on the road.

 

[skyp4WDW]

It is definately Disney's responsibility to provide paths in Ft Wilderness that are safe for all levels of bike riders; especially when they rent bikes to the public (including bikes with training wheels). The spot where the accident happened becomes suddenly very narrow. People (children and adults) regularly veer into the street at that spot.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Those paths have been accident free (as far as I am aware) since Ft Wilderness opened in 1971.
This seems to have been a case of very negligent parents letting two children out on their own and then not making sure their bikes were safe.

 

[FireDancer]

Those paths have been accident free (as far as I am aware) since Ft Wilderness opened in 1971.
This seems to have been a case of very negligent parents letting two children out on their own and then not making sure their bikes were safe.

Not only that, but on the extremely rare occasion there is a guard rail it is to keep cars off the paths, not vice versa. Those guard rails occur pretty much only on high speed turns and on the outside radius (not of bike lanes, but roadside paths). Where this particular accident took place it was on the inside radius of a turn. A car missing the turn or going in too fast would end up on the opposite curb, hence no rail.

The paths are perfectly safe if you actually stay on them. There are places all over the country where sidewalks butt right up to streets with nothing more then a curb or small strip of grass separating cars from pedestrians. I'll be running on a multipurpose path later today that has nothing but a line of paint between cars (in a 30mph zone) and me. I'll just make sure to stay on the right side of the line. If I go over it and get hit it isn't the county's fault it is mine. If a car come onto the path and hits me it isn't the county's fault it is the driver's.

I'm sure Disney, just like me and everyone else, wishes the accident didn't happen but shifting the blame onto them isn't right.

 

[Lightgician]

Does anyone else feel that the parents had a responsibilty here. If nothing else to be sure their child's bike was safe for him to ride. I can understand their grief and wanting to place the blame on someone. But that bike should have been repaired before allowing him to go riding. Just a Grandfather ranting here.

 

[FireDancer]

Does anyone else feel that the parents had a responsibilty here. If nothing else to be sure their child's bike was safe for him to ride. I can understand their grief and wanting to place the blame on someone. But that bike should have been repaired before allowing him to go riding. Just a Grandfather ranting here.

Absolutely. If any third party has any liability here it is the person who allowed a child on a bike as described in the news. Now, had Disney rented a bike to someone in that condition I would think they share some blame, but not because of their path construction.

 

[Virtucomp]

Does anyone else feel that the parents had a responsibilty here. If nothing else to be sure their child's bike was safe for him to ride. I can understand their grief and wanting to place the blame on someone. But that bike should have been repaired before allowing him to go riding. Just a Grandfather ranting here.

If the boy was riding his bike with flat tires and he got stuck and flipped over the handle bars would his injuries be Disney's fault since he was on a Disney bike path?

I don't think so. Is it the parent's fault? Kind of. If the kid were older and driving a car with no brakes is it Disney's fault that he ran into a tree? The parent/owner is responsible for the child riding something unsafe. As far as the bus, this was an unfortunate accident.

I find it surprizing that parents allowed the child to ride an unsafe bike when a few month ago a child was killed in much the same way. If I was the dad and my kid wanted to ride there I'd say "I don't think so!"

 

[nurtz]

It is definately Disney's responsibility to provide paths in Ft Wilderness that are safe for all levels of bike riders; especially when they rent bikes to the public (including bikes with training wheels). The spot where the accident happened becomes suddenly very narrow. People (children and adults) regularly veer into the street at that spot.

I believe that walking/bike path is safe. If it wasn't there would be many more accidents. That is exactly what this was, an unfortunate accident that seems to be in no way Disney's fault no matter what some may think. The world (the world we all live in as well as Disney World) can not possibly be made totally safe from all accidents. At some point it is the responsibility of those who choose to bike on roads/sidewalks to take care of their own personal safety. This bike was not rented...it was the child's personal bike therefore up to the parents or rider to make sure it is in working order. It is unreasonable to expect guardrails or bigger grassy medians everywhere someone might walk or bike close to traffic! No one forces people to walk or bike on those paths...they can choose not to. I feel so bad for all involved...what a sad story.

 

[mrsksomeday]

Disney is not completely blameless....There is an extremely small space between the bike path and road at the point where the accident occurred. There should be a rail there because that spot was an accident waiting to happen. God bless that poor little boy.

According to the police report there was a flat back tire, an underinflated front tire, and crooked handlebars. That bike never should have been brought to WDW let alone ridden there.

How many years has that path been there and been accident free? I can't believe anyone would say Disney has any blame in this. This bike was unsafe, plain and simple.

May he rest in peace.