Personal Injury Blog

Driver in San Francisco Shuttle Bus Accident May Have Run a Red Light

July 25th, 2011
shuttle bus accident

San Francisco shuttle bus

 The University Of California at San Francisco driver involved in a fatal shuttle bus accident last week may have run a red light just before the accident.  The accident killed a psychiatrist and injured several others.

On Thursday morning, the victim, Dr. Kevin Mack a psychiatrist at the University of California at San Francisco was riding the shuttle with about fifteen other university staff members to San Francisco General Hospital.  The bus crashed into a truck in the Hayes Valley Neighborhood.  The impact of the accident ejected Mack from the bus, and he ended up under the tractor trailer.  He sustained serious injuries, and died at the scene.

Several other passengers were also injured in the accident, and were hospitalized.  They’re all in good or fair condition.  The driver of the shuttle also suffered minor injuries.

Police now believe that the driver of the shuttle bus may have run a red light just before the crash.  They’re basing this on witness reports of the accident scene.

According to San Francisco Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, the fatality that occurred here could have been prevented if the bus had seatbelts.  However, if the witness accounts about the driver of the shuttle bus running a red light are true, then this accident could have been prevented if the driver had simply obeyed traffic rules.

Many times, serious accidents are caused because of failure to obey basic traffic safety rules.  Red light violations, for instance, are the most frequently broken rules, and often end in serious accidents.  In many accidents that involve a bus, truck or car running a red light, the resulting collision ends with one vehicle broadsiding the other.  The side-impact accident can be terribly serious and lead to injuries and fatalities.

However, this accident also underscores to Los Angeles bus accident lawyers the grave need for making seatbelts mandatory on all buses.  California’s laws don’t allow motorists and passengers to drive or ride in a car without wearing seatbelts.  However, thousands of people travel by bus in California every year, with nothing to protect them in the event of an accident.  When a passenger on a bus is not wearing a seatbelt, there is nothing restraining him in his seat during impact.  Such passenger is likely to be thrown into poles or other passengers, or even worse, ejected from the bus.

The National Transportation Safety Board strongly recommends that seatbelts be made mandatory in all buses.  The Board’s recommendations are decades old, but the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has failed to act to make seatbelts mandatory in all buses.  This is in spite of the fact that there have been several serious bus accidents over the past decade.  In most of these accidents, the fatalities would have been prevented and the injuries less severe if the passengers had been wearing seat belts.

Posted by at 11:29 am: No comments

Leave a reply



Share This Page With A Friend
Find The Reeves Law Group On

Latest Review

The Reeves Law Group
Excellent, highly recommended

"I was very pleased with my overall experience with The Reeves Law Group. The staff was friendly and helpful, and my attorney was skillful and aggressive in getting an excellent settlement recovery for me, including reimbursement for my lost income."

 - Camilla C. Castagna 5.0

FreeConsultation

24 Hours
EASY & CONFIDENTIAL CLICK HERE ›
SPEAK TO A LAWYER NOW
1-800-644-8000

Client Testimonials

  • "I would recommend The Reeves Law Group to my family and friends for attorney representation of any bodily injury claims they might have..."

    — C.O., Los Angeles

  • "I cannot thank this firm enough. The attorneys and support staff were caring, attentive and diligent at every step of the way and produced an outstanding result in the case."

    — M.N., Orange County

  • "I am very happy with $981,932.68 The Reeves Law Group obtained for me for injuries I suffered in an automobile accident. The legal representation provided by the Reeves staff was excellent..."

    — G.D., Ventura County

  • "I appreciate the level of excellence and compassion put forth in my case. This law firm made what was stressful in the beginning a non-stressful case in the end. Thank you!"

    — J.H., Riverside

  • "I was very happy with attorney Pakiz of your office, who worked very diligently and was very courteous with me. I would not hesitate to call on or recommend your office in the future."

    — T.M., Orange County

  • "I would refer The Reeves Law Group to friends and family."

    — J.K., San Diego County

  • "I found the attorneys to be compassionate for my needs and tenacious against the insurance company representatives, while working to achieve an outstanding settlement result."

    — F.H., Los Angeles County

  • "Dear Mr. Reeves: Your representation and guidance during the pendency of my injury case are very much appreciated..."

    — A.C., Santa Ana

  • "I received great service and am very happy with the way your firm handled my case."

    — J.F., Orange County

  • "Great job on the whole process. It was a fast process, and there was always someone for me to talk to."

    — D. H., Rialto

  • "We came to you from another law firm that didn't help. Your offices made us feel like we were your only clients. Thank you so much for the terrific service!"

    — R.L. and E.L., Orange County

  • "Great job - great damages recovery! Thank you Mr. Reeves and staff for quality legal representation and results in my personal injury case."

    — M.I., Riverside County

Helpful Links

Our Blog Over 3,000 Articles Daily articles on Personal injury news & analysis
Click Here ►
Our Guarantee If there is no recovery you don't pay a fee
Learn More ►
Video Library A helpful resource for your injury case
Click Here ►