Another Knox County School (KCS) bus driver was fired after he was caught using his cellphone while driving a bus with students from the Knoxville Adaptive Education Center.
On Aug. 24th, a bus aide noticed the 50-year-old driver using his phone and reported him to school officials. They reviewed bus video footage to confirm the accusation and removed the driver from the eligibility roster.
KCS Chief Operating Officer Russ Oaks issued a statement explaining that numerous programs designed to ensure student safety are in place like the safety check ride program and a two-camera bus video system.
These programs reflect their value in incidents like this most recent one in which a bus driver was caught using his cellphone while behind the wheel.
This was the third time a KCS bus driver has been caught using a cellphone while driving since a fatal bus crash in Dec. 2014 that left a teacher's aide and two elementary school students dead.
In that accident, the bus driver was texting and driving when he made a sharp turn on Asheville Highway, causing the bus to go over a median and collide with another school bus. The driver suffered severe injuries in the crash and died at home in June of last year.
Another bus driver was caught using a phone and driving in Aug. 2015 and was removed from the driver eligibility list.
This incident and the fatal crash spurred state leaders to pass a law earlier this year prohibiting school bus drivers from using their phones while driving, including talking, texting or taking pictures.
However, in April another bus driver was caught using a phone while driving and was removed from the driver eligibility list.
If you or your child was injured by a distracted bus driver, contact the skilled school bus accident lawyers at Greg Coleman Law for a free consultation to review your claim. A Knoxville injury lawyer from our firm will determine if you are entitled to file a lawsuit to obtain compensation for damages.
Call us today at (865) 247-0080 or complete our Free Case Evaluation form.
