Teen Hit by Passing SUV After Exiting School Bus on Thomas St Arlington Heights.
No charges or citations have been issued for the driver of a silver Toyota Highlander SUV after a male teen collided with her vehicle just after the SUV passed a stopped school bus on Tuesday March 3, 2020 at Thomas Street and Walnut Avenue. Instead the bus driver was given a citation for not having the stop sign on the school bus extended when the teen was crossing Thomas Street after exiting the bus.
For about one week, Arlington Heights police investigated the accident that involved the driver of an SUV and a male teen pedestrian who had just exited the school bus about 6:11 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3, 2020.
A Grand Prairie Transit school bus was stopped westbound on Thomas Street when the driver of a silver Toyota Highlander passed the school bus in the center of Thomas Street traveling westbound. The teen was apparently crossing in front of the school bus, and there was a collision involving the teen pedestrian with the right front fender of the Toyota Highlander. The injuries to the teen were initially believed to be non-life-threatening.
Arlington Heights police investigated the accident with photographs of the scene and witness interviews, and also worked to acquire any video from the school bus that might have captured the collision.
Arlington Heights only said that the stop sign was not extended, the bus driver was given a citation, and that the driver of the Toyota Highlander was not charged and was not given any citations.
After the crash, all safety devices appeared to be activated and functioning, including the flashing overhead lights at the front and back of the bus, the flashing extended stop sign, and a pedestrian guard gate at the right front bumper of the bus.
According to the Illinois State Police (ISP), the majority of children injured or killed in pupil transportation are injured outside the bus. Most are struck by motorists who fail to stop for the flashing red lights and extended stop arm. This area around the bus is often referred to as the “DANGER ZONE.”
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