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photo by Marcus Frazier
Concordia Parish School District employee Gerome Harris stands by as Kerryonn Swift, 8, and Truniya Davis, 6, get off their school bus Wednesday afternoon to ride home with their parents. The bus was involved in a minor traffic accident. None of the passengers on the bus were injured.
No one hurt in bus accident
Published Thursday, September 25, 2008
VIDALIA — A Concordia Parish school bus was involved in a minor accident Wednesday afternoon, but no serious injuries were reported.
None of the children on the bus were harmed, and the bus driver also escaped uninjured, school Superintendent Loretta Blankenstein said.
The driver of the other vehicle in the accident, Delores Jefferson, of Vidalia, and her passengers asked to be examined and were taken to Natchez Regional Medical Center, Police Chief Ronnie G. “Tapper” Hendricks said.
The school bus, driven by contract driver Kathy Smith, and the vehicle driven by Jefferson were both eastbound on Carter Street, and they slowed to make a right turn onto Hickory Street, Hendricks said.
Jefferson’s vehicle entered the turning lane at the time that the bus was making the turn and struck it behind the back tire of the bus on the right side, Hendricks said.
“Those buses make wide right turns, and the car was turning with the bus,” he said.
The impact did not cause any serious damage to the bus, which is one of the Durham School Services buses, and it was later cleared to complete the route, Blankenstein said.
“The bus doesn’t even have a scratch on it,” she said.
Another driver completed the route Wednesday and Smith will be tested as a precautionary measure, a school district policy, Blankenstein said.
Jefferson was faulted for the accident, and was also cited for expired tag and expired driver’s license, Hendricks said.
Comments
Posted by starla (anonymous) on September 25, 2008 at 3:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I can't stand people who do that! The majority of the accidents around here are from sheer stupidity.
That woman endangered children because she couldn't wait to turn!
Posted by thereshia (anonymous) on September 25, 2008 at 6:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
She also had an expired tag on the car and an expired driver's license!! I am so glad no children were injured.
Posted by Sarge (anonymous) on September 25, 2008 at 6:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Expired tag,,,,expired license,,,,means NO insurance!
Also if the bus "didn't have a scratch on it", then the car surely couldn't have had enough damage to it to require that the passengers needed to go to the hospital "to be checked out"!
She was in the wrong but she saw an easy opportunity to say she was hurt so she could file a lawsuit later!
Figures!
Posted by kpage (anonymous) on September 25, 2008 at 7:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I am so glad no children were injured in this fender-bender.
Posted by lattelovingal (anonymous) on September 25, 2008 at 8:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Notice how the Jefferson lady went to the hospital to be checked out? I am glad they found her at fault. Cause I see her trying to file a lawsuit against the school and Durham.
Posted by npc (anonymous) on September 25, 2008 at 9:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
And you wonder why regional can't make it. If she has an expired tag and expired license, chances are she will have no means to pay for her trip to the hospital. Therefore, you can bank on it she is going to sue. This kind of stuff just burns me up.
Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on September 25, 2008 at 12:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You can bet she will try to sue. I think people go around trying to get into accidents so they can get money. Someone stopped in front of my son a few years ago, he turned at a red light and was doing about 5 mph coming to another red light and the guy stopped. No damage to either vehicle but the other driver got $100,000 from our insurance and we got higher rates.
Posted by saywhat (anonymous) on September 25, 2008 at 2:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Wonder if they did drug tests on Jefferson? I personally think if they do tests on one driver then they need to do it to the other.
Posted by soccercoach (anonymous) on September 25, 2008 at 2:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm just glad no one was hurt.
For this Delores Jefferson, you really should be ashamed of yourself for endangering not only the bus driver and the kids on the bus, but also your passenger.
Posted by npc (anonymous) on September 25, 2008 at 3:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Oh, thier is definately a wracket going around here. I no several people that have been in wrecks with no one around and no one in the car with the other person. The other car was clearly at fault. All of a sudden people came out of the woodwork, stating that they saw the wreck and it was the person that I know fault. Also, two of these accidents the other party suddenly had other people in the car and in one that I happen to drive up on right after it happened and saw the person who was driving, someone else walked up and claimed to be driving because the person that was accually driving didn't have a drives license. He also attempted to run from the scene but his car was too messed up and died about 75 yards away. They then attempted to say that they had actually gotten hit and it wasn't their fault. Luckily, their was a fireman that saw the wreck, but the police officer almost took the side of the guy trying to run. Also, when the police woman wasn't paying attention, the other party was trying to provoke the fireman and the person that go hit. They ended up trying to sue.
Posted by soccercoach (anonymous) on September 25, 2008 at 3:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
npc,
Please hit "Spell Check" before sending.
Thanks dear
Posted by soccercoach (anonymous) on September 25, 2008 at 3:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
How are all you folks in the Miss-Lou area?
Posted by thelorax (anonymous) on September 25, 2008 at 4:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This is my sons bus driver and she is one of the most careful drivers I have seen. She is a caring person who loves her kids on the bus.
I just hope they do not try and blame her for ANY of this, she is NOT at fault.
Kathy, we are all behind you.
Posted by dragonflyday (anonymous) on September 25, 2008 at 7:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
what i'm tired of is the ones that can't seem to stay in their own lane,they will drive slow until they come to a long stretch and then gas it. now that makes me want to ram the hell out of them. but i have figured out away to have them arrested for wreckless driving, i'm setting up a recorder in my truck and i'm going to film these dum a??es and call the law. i called the law this morning and was told can't do anything unless i have proof well i will now. lets see how many i can put on worlds dummest drivers lol
Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on September 25, 2008 at 7:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Ram them dragon...I will say it was not NOT your fault.....Get them out of the way...
Posted by picture_music101 (anonymous) on September 25, 2008 at 8:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yes,mrs.kathy is not to blame...she is the carfullest driver and she is the nicest lady you'll ever meet.I see them in walmart alot and she always says hey and waves..of course her mini me(daughter)says hello tooo! They are very nice people
Posted by rose18 (anonymous) on September 25, 2008 at 10:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
looking for a extra dollar ha that is what it seems to me just GO GET A JOB.
Posted by myfairy (anonymous) on September 25, 2008 at 10:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thank God all is safe
Posted by presby (anonymous) on September 25, 2008 at 11:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Don,t know about Vidalia,but we live in a small neighborhood on Morgantown road. One of those buses comes up the hill where a 15 MPH sigh is flying. He or she has it to the floor going much faster than 15mph. 20mph is too fast on the curvy road and they are moving much faster than that..much faster. They almost took me out in a curve several times..
Posted by presby (anonymous) on September 25, 2008 at 11:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
How could she be hurt,that bus outweighs the car 10 times over.
Posted by picture_music101 (anonymous) on September 26, 2008 at 7:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Presby its a policy...no matter what they have to be....also on your first one buses have to push the petal to the floor to get up hills...like you said they weigh more.
Posted by thelorax (anonymous) on September 26, 2008 at 10:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Presby WHO DOESN'T run Morgantown Road like a bat outa you know where?
sheeze
Posted by soccercoach (anonymous) on September 26, 2008 at 6 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Heh...
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