A teacher and coach died Sept. 27 after the school bus he was driving was hit head-on by a pickup truck that went left of center in Boone County, Missouri. 

The Missouri State Police reported that a Dodge Ram pickup crossed the center line and slammed into the bus at high speed. Five students from the Harrisburg, Missouri high school track team were on the bus at the time.

The driver of the bus, Brian Simpson, was a history teacher as well as a baseball, cross country and quiz bowl coach. He died upon impact. Four of the students escaped from the bus through the rear emergency exit. The other student was extricated from the bus by a firefighter.

Four students were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. The pickup truck driver also suffered unknown injuries.

Our View

So many drivers and passengers on American roads every year are killed by distracted drivers. Our hearts go out to the family of the deceased teacher. Our Virginia and North Carolina personal injury and wrongful death attorneys want to remind all drivers to never allow themselves to be distracted when they are driving. Just a second’s inattention to the road can cause a horrible crash, serious and fatal injuries, and personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. 

To avoid distracted driving accidents with serious personal injuries, we recommend these tips from Geico: 

• Use your cell phone only in an emergency. When you are driving, a cell phone is only to be used for an emergency. In any case, you should always pull over to a safe spot to use a cell phone. No social conversations should ever be had on a cell phone when you are driving. Even using a hands-free device while driving can be distracting.
• If you are sleepy, pull over! Drowsiness when you are driving hikes your chances of a wreck by 400%.
• Limit the number of passengers and activities in the vehicle. Teenagers are usually prohibited from having other underage teenagers in the vehicle when they first get their driver’s license.
• Avoid eating and drinking and driving. Being busy doing things other than driving is never an excuse for an accident. You may think that you are saving time by eating your breakfast while you drive. But you are distracting yourself from the road. Leave time to get things done before you start to drive.
• Do not multitask and drive. Everyone is busy, but you should only be focused on driving when you are behind the wheel and in motion.