Raleigh N. C. Six Year Old Killed At School Bus Stop
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It is back to school time in North Carolina and unfortunately, these first few days of school have left one child fatally injured as she exited her bus.
A six year old was hit and killed at her bus stop in Raleigh this week.
The girl, Ashley E. Ramos Hernandez was getting home from school at Green Elementary School. As she was exiting the bus, Geraldine Baron Deitz hit the child with her SUV.
Geraldine Baron Deitz, 83, was driving behind the bus. Although the bus's warning signals and lights were in fact on, she failed to stop. Eyewitness reports state that she seemed to have slowed down but did not come to a full stop before she passed the bus. At that point, she hit the child.
Tragically, Ashley died from a result of her injuries.
A driver behind Deitz's SUV did stop and got out to help Ashley until the paramedics arrived on the scene. The driver, Thomas Ernest Waters, provided eyewitness testimony to the police about what occurred.
As children head back to school, this is a tragic reminder of how easily a child may be hurt, or even killed when bus signals are ignored.
Should Ashley's family seek out legal advice and file personal injury charges against Deitz, the fact that Deitz failed to stop even with the warning signals is significant. Individuals who are driving alongside a bus must obey these signals.
It is also North Carolina law that drivers remain at least 100 feet behind the bus to allow enough time to stop quickly.
There are stiff criminal penalties for failing to stop for a stopped school bus. More importantly, Ashley's family has effective legal remedies against the negligent driver. Hopefully the Deitz vehicle is insured for more than the minimum $ 30,000 liability insurance coverage that North Carolina law requires.
Personal injury lawyers can help drivers, pedestrians and others who become the victim in situations like this. If you or someone you know has been in a situation where you were injured because someone else failed to abide by laws, contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible.