A female pedestrian was killed when a school bus hit her in Fort Lee on Aug. 7. Police issued summonses to the driver, but criminal charges were not brought against her.
According to the Leonia police chief, the pedestrian accident happened during the morning, when the pedestrian, a 60-year-old Fort Lee woman, was hit by a school bus at the intersection of Broad Avenue and Fort Lee Road. The pedestrian had been in the middle of crossing Broad Avenue, and the bus had been turning left onto Broad Avenue from Fort Lee Road. While both had the green light in their favor, the driver of the school bus, a 54-year-old Tenafly woman, failed to yield the right of way to the pedestrian. The driver also apparently failed to see the pedestrian and dragged her for 71 feet before coming to stop while onlookers screamed and honked their horns at the bus.
The driver of the school bus and her two passengers were not injured in the accident. However, the driver was treated for emotional trauma at Englewood Hospital. Police issued the driver summonses for failing to yield to a pedestrian who had the right of way, for careless driving and for driving with badly worn tires. They did not bring any criminal charges against the driver. However, they did impound the bus for further investigation.
In fatal accidents like this one, the surviving family members of a decedent might choose to file a wrongful death claim if it can be shown that a driver involved in the accident was both liable and negligent in their actions. In New Jersey, the family might receive damages for any medical costs incurred in treating the victim and for the funeral and burial costs. Additionally, the family might also receive pecuniary damages.
Source: NorthJersey.com, “Fort Lee woman killed by school bus in Leonia”, Stefanie Dazio and Jim Norman, August 07, 2014