The parents of a 6-year-old girl who was killed in April after being struck by a school bus have sued the Brock (Texas) district and the manufacturer of the bus.
The Weatherford Democrat reports that the family of Emory Sayre contends that the district was negligent in its hiring and training of drivers; it also asserts that Blue Bird, which manufactured the vehicle, and Rush Truck Centers of Texas, which sold the bus to the district, were negligent in failing to have basic safety features on the bus
The incident occurred on April 25. The bus stopped to offload several students; Emory, a kindergarten student, was the last of three to exit and cross in front of the bus. As she started walking in front of the bus, the driver began to drive the bus and struck her, running over her with the front right and rear tires, according to the suit. She was rushed to an area hospital, but died from her injuries.
Kevin Koudelka, attorney for the Sayre family, says the bus should have had safety devices installed.
"Every car sold today has sensors on them," Koudelka says. "These are very basic devices that should be standard equipment on something as important as a school bus."
Since the accident, the Brock district has reportedly added crossing arms to buses.
