2006 Huntsville bus accident
Encyclopedia
The Huntsville bus accident involved a school bus carrying 40 students from Lee High School
and occurred on November 20, 2006 on an elevated portion of Interstate 565
in Huntsville, Alabama
. Police stated that the bus went over the side of the road after being hit by a small car. Four students were killed and 23 were injured after the bus plunged almost 40 feet. The driver was ejected from the bus before it went over the side of the bridge.
The accident was extensively covered by CNN
and USA Today
.
Governor Bob Riley
ordered a report be made into the issue. A study group consisting of education and transport officials interviewed 17 expert witnesses, and in early 2007 released recommendations that a pilot program be run with lap/shoulder belts being installed in a limited number of new buses from 2008.
Lee High School (Huntsville, Alabama)
Lee High School is a four-year public high school that serves students in grades 9-12 from Huntsville, in Madison County, Alabama in the United States, as a part of Huntsville City Schools.-History:...
and occurred on November 20, 2006 on an elevated portion of Interstate 565
Interstate 565
-External links:***...
in Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
. Police stated that the bus went over the side of the road after being hit by a small car. Four students were killed and 23 were injured after the bus plunged almost 40 feet. The driver was ejected from the bus before it went over the side of the bridge.
The accident was extensively covered by CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
.
Seatbelt controversy
The crash reignited debate over the installation of seat belts in buses, and whether Alabama should follow the lead of states such as Florida in legislating compulsory lap belts. Following the accident AlabamaAlabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
Governor Bob Riley
Bob Riley
Bob Riley may refer to:* Bob Riley, 52nd Governor of Alabama* Bob C. Riley, acting Governor of Arkansas for 11 days in 1975* Bob Riley , sports car designer and founder of Riley Technologies...
ordered a report be made into the issue. A study group consisting of education and transport officials interviewed 17 expert witnesses, and in early 2007 released recommendations that a pilot program be run with lap/shoulder belts being installed in a limited number of new buses from 2008.
External links
- http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2009/HAB0902.pdf NTSB Highway Accident Brief HWY-07-MH-007: School Bus Bridge Override Following Collision With Passenger Vehicle, Huntsville, Alabama, November 20, 2006