Sad.... 10yr old killed by bus at WDW (2nd story added)

[dpuck1998]

No one on these boards has any idea what happened here. It may be Disney (bus drivers) fault, the kids fault or for all we know they were goofing around and the 11 yo ran him off the road into the bus. We can speculate and point fingers but it will not bring this little boy back to life. It was a sad and terrible accident that few people know the truth about. Hug your kids!

 

[Mike2023]

Indeed,

No one on these boards has any idea what happened here. It may be Disney (bus drivers) fault, the kids fault or for all we know they were goofing around and the 11 yo ran him off the road into the bus. We can speculate and point fingers but it will not bring this little boy back to life. It was a sad and terrible accident that few people know the truth about. Hug your kids!

 

[jcb]

No one on these boards has any idea what happened here. It may be Disney (bus drivers) fault, the kids fault or for all we know they were goofing around and the 11 yo ran him off the road into the bus. We can speculate and point fingers but it will not bring this little boy back to life. It was a sad and terrible accident that few people know the truth about. Hug your kids!

I wish I could have said it this well. I couldn't, so I didn't.

 

[dmccarty]

Stuff happens....

I was working a charity event a few weeks back stopping traffic in an intersection in a neighborhood in an older part of a city. Typical city with a grid pattern of roads. Not at all like the 'burbs with dead end roads and such.

People speed on these residential roads. Fact of life. Even with over 4,000 people walking for charity people were speeding and impatient to get around the traffic disruption the event was causing. The event was on a Sunday afternoon so the traffic disruption was not really bad at all but people will be people.

Some of the houses were having Sunday get togethers with quite a few kids. At one of the houses the adults went inside and left the kids as young as 3ish out in the small yard playing. The could hear the kids but not see them. The house was two lots from the intersection and cars would drive fairly quick to said intersection though some would see that it would be better to turn around. For some reason people like to drive real fast to intersections and slam on the brakes. Never understood it since it does not really save them time and cost them brakes, tires, and fuel.... But people are people.

There was a small truck parked in front of the house.

One of the youngest kids dropped a ball which rolled in front of the truck and out into the street....

What did the child do?

He ran right past that truck and into the street. Thankfully no car was driving down the street or that child almost certainly would have been hit. My heart jumped out of my chest when I saw what he was doing but I could see there was no traffic and he was "safe." Even if there had been traffic and I had shouted at the kid I don't think it would have stopped the nightmare from starting....

Thankfully no cars were driving down that street at that particular moment.

Even if the parents had been watching the child there was nothing they could have done either.

Stuff happens.

Later,
Dan

 

[johnsonmatt3]

I cant blame the bus driver. Those things cant stop very fast. Though I wouldnt blame Chase either. It was that he was so excited or maybe his bike just lost control or something. I dont blame anyone for it. Accidents happen.

 

[iwrbnd]

I cant blame the bus driver. Those things cant stop very fast. Though I wouldnt blame Chase either. It was that he was so excited or maybe his bike just lost control or something. I dont blame anyone for it. Accidents happen.

Very well said! Unfortunately our society has forgotten the last part of your sentence.

 

[sc9500]

Prayers for peace and strength for the family ..

 

[kafitty]

so sad. i can definitely see how this could have happened. i STILL carry the scars from going headfirst over handlebars almost 10 years ago - i lost control on a sandy patch and ended up on the asphalt, on the side of the main road in my town. A couple of feet farther and i would have been IN traffic, and totally unable to move myself - i had knocked the wind out of my chest pretty badly and couldn't breathe for a few. Thankfully, i was out of harm's way - but it could have been so much worse.

i feel awful for the family, AND the bus driver - his (her?) suffering will be no less...just different.

 

[DVCsince02]

This poor family has lost other children, too.

Hug your kids.

 

[MaumeeMom]

No one on these boards has any idea what happened here. It may be Disney (bus drivers) fault, the kids fault or for all we know they were goofing around and the 11 yo ran him off the road into the bus. We can speculate and point fingers but it will not bring this little boy back to life. It was a sad and terrible accident that few people know the truth about. Hug your kids!

Yes, we do know what happened because we have the police statement which was based on forensic evidence and credible witness statements.

The police would not have made a statement if they were not positive that it was not the bus driver's fault. They would not have released the bike, nor would they have released the body, if they thought that there was any negligence on Disney's part involved.

I'm willing to bet that in edition to the forensics and the witnesses there is video too. Most buses these days have three to five cameras on them. Typically, one showing the front door, one for the rear door, one pointing from the front of the bus to the back down the aisle, one recording the driver and one pointing out front towards the road. These cameras would have shown if the Disney driver went off the road and they would have shown where the children were riding.

Based on the evidence shared by the police and media, I can confidently say that this was a tragic accident. I can understand that the family wants to blame someone but there is no evidence of wrong doing.

My prayers are with the child's family and friends but also with the driver and the witnesses as their lives have been forever changed as well.

 

[WDWisTheBest]

This is horrible and is very sad. There is a real bad trend of Disney Bus accidents in the past 6 months.

Has anyone posted information previously about "a real bad trend" of Disney bus accidents in the past 6 months? I don't believe so.

 

[dpuck1998]

Yes, we do know what happened because we have the police statement which was based on forensic evidence and credible witness statements.

The police would not have made a statement if they were not positive that it was not the bus driver's fault. They would not have released the bike, nor would they have released the body, if they thought that there was any negligence on Disney's part involved.

I'm willing to bet that in edition to the forensics and the witnesses there is video too. Most buses these days have three to five cameras on them. Typically, one showing the front door, one for the rear door, one pointing from the front of the bus to the back down the aisle, one recording the driver and one pointing out front towards the road. These cameras would have shown if the Disney driver went off the road and they would have shown where the children were riding.

Based on the evidence shared by the police and media, I can confidently say that this was a tragic accident. I can understand that the family wants to blame someone but there is no evidence of wrong doing.

My prayers are with the child's family and friends but also with the driver and the witnesses as their lives have been forever changed as well.

You know why the boy rode into the side of the bus?

 

[MaumeeMom]

No one on these boards has any idea what happened here. &

You know why the boy rode into the side of the bus?

That is not what you stated. You said that no one knew what happened - why was not in the equation. Use logic. You have forensics, witnesses and probably video that all states that the bus driver was not at fault. We know what happened - why is not as easy to understand but we do know WHAT.

It was an accident - why do people feel the need to assign blame?

I can understand that the family is upset but I feel that what they are saying is out of line. There is no evidence to suggest that the driver "killed" their child.

 

[dpuck1998]

That is not what you stated. You said that no one knew what happened - why was not in the equation. Use logic. You have forensics, witnesses and probably video that all states that the bus driver was not at fault. We know what happened - why is not as easy to understand but we do know WHAT.

It was an accident - why do people feel the need to assign blame?

I can understand that the family is upset but I feel that what they are saying is out of line. There is no evidence to suggest that the driver "killed" their child.

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't defending the grandma or anyone blaming the bus driver

I said

"No one on these boards has any idea what happened here. It may be Disney (bus drivers) fault, the kids fault or for all we know they were goofing around and the 11 yo ran him off the road into the bus. We can speculate and point fingers but it will not bring this little boy back to life. It was a sad and terrible accident that few people know the truth about. Hug your kids!"

Unless you have some information other than what was in the paper, you don't know what happened either. You are going based on what was reported in the news and online and have no idea what/how it all really happened. Of course more information has come out since my first statement, but we still don't know exactly what happened unless you were part of the investigation team. I agree that based on what is being reported the bus driver was not at fault, not sure where from my statement you felt I was blaming someone??

 

[MaumeeMom]

PARTIAL

Unless you have some information other than what was in the paper, you don't know what happened either. You are going based on what was reported in the news and online and have no idea what/how it all really happened. Of course more information has come out since my first statement, but we still don't know exactly what happened unless you were part of the investigation team. I agree that based on what is being reported the bus driver was not at fault, not sure where from my statement you felt I was blaming someone??

Sorry, I'm not a conspiracy theorist. I feel that we do know what happened via the reports that have been made available. From the official statements to the 911 tapes, there really aren't any blanks to fill in.

The kid fell into the bus and unfortunately, was pulled under the wheel and sustained injuries that are not compatible to life.

From your statements it sounded like you were not ready to accept that the driver was not at fault. Sorry if I miss understood.

I have friends in the transportation industry and know that these things happen. I understand that the family wants to blame someone but I do truly believe that this was just an unfortunate accident.

 

[dpuck1998]

Sorry, I'm not a conspiracy theorist. I feel that we do know what happened via the reports that have been made available. From the official statements to the 911 tapes, there really aren't any blanks to fill in.

The kid fell into the bus and unfortunately, was pulled under the wheel and sustained injuries that are not compatible to life.

From your statements it sounded like you were not ready to accept that the driver was not at fault. Sorry if I miss understood.

I have friends in the transportation industry and know that these things happen. I understand that the family wants to blame someone but I do truly believe that this was just an unfortunate accident.

My main point was that only a few people know exactly how it happened, thus it was irrelevant to argue about it. I was actually trying to curt the finger pointing, so I think we are on the same side of the fence. A sad day no matter how we look at it.

 

[Mike2023]

I have yet to be to that resort so I dont know the layout of the roads.

But, I ask, is there room for a guard rail between the road and the sidewalk? And if so, should disney have put one in knowing that the buses go by at a high rate of speed?

I think if there had of been a guard rail this would never of happend.

I dont think fault lies with disney on this one, but If there is room, I would be upset if something was not done to provent this from happening again in the future.

 

[FireDancer]

I have yet to be to that resort so I dont know the layout of the roads.

But, I ask, is there room for a guard rail between the road and the sidewalk? And if so, should disney have put one in knowing that the buses go by at a high rate of speed?

I think if there had of been a guard rail this would never of happend.

I dont think fault lies with disney on this one, but If there is room, I would be upset if something was not done to provent this from happening again in the future.

I know of many bike paths like the one that the accident occurred on. Unless they are on the outside of a dangerous (close to 90 degree) turn almost none have a guard rail. When they do it is to keep the cars from misjudging a turn and leaving the road, not a cyclist from turning into the road.

Our metropark system in Cleveland has miles and miles of bike paths like the one where the accident happened and most have either no divider at all or parking curbs at most where they run right along the road. Also almost no roads with bike lanes have those lanes divided by a guard rail and, as a cyclist, I wouldn't want them to be.

 

[Racey]

whether its right or wrong its human nature to place blame and unfortuntely in this case the parents seek blame on the adult they can hold responsible! Im sure after a while when the family can sit down and think more logically about it they will accept it was just a tragic accident.

I feel for everyone involved (

 

[Mike2023]

I know of many bike paths like the one that the accident occurred on. Unless they are on the outside of a dangerous (close to 90 degree) turn almost none have a guard rail. When they do it is to keep the cars from misjudging a turn and leaving the road, not a cyclist from turning into the road.

Our metropark system in Cleveland has miles and miles of bike paths like the one where the accident happened and most have either no divider at all or parking curbs at most where they run right along the road. Also almost no roads with bike lanes have those lanes divided by a guard rail and, as a cyclist, I wouldn't want them to be.

I agree that I would not want them in any normal situation. But we are talking about a resort were the majority of guests are going to be of a young age.

Was the path that they were riding on a bike path? How many feet from the walk to the road? I picture a situation were the child lost control and only had to move 2 or 3 feet to be in the side of the bus. To me, that's not acceptable.

Again, I don't know the resort so I do not know how much space there is.

Edit,

After looking at the news report you can see that its just a sidewalk on a road with no space at all between. I would say less then the 2 or 3 feet I guessed at. In this situation I feel they should have a foot high cement barrier along the curb to keep pedestrians off the road. This is not uncommon and I have seen them in many places. Its not so much an inconvenience because you can just hop over them if needed, but it prevents accidents such as this. Again, this is assuming the speed limit is as high as I think it is, anyone know?