Austin Bus Accident Leaves 1 Dead, 3 Injured

Austin Bus Accident Leaves 1 Dead, 3 Injured

An accident involving a bus in Southeast Austin on December 11 left one person dead and at least three people injured. While this was a devastating accident, in general, Texas bus accidents don’t make up a big part of the dangers posed by Texas roadways.  Still, it’s important that drivers do their part to prevent these types of collisions. Keep reading to learn more about the crash and tips on how to prevent Austin bus accidents from the team here at Ramos James Law, Austin accident attorneys.

The Austin Bus Accident

On the morning of Monday, December 11, a vehicle collided with a CapMetro bus near Austin’s airport, resulting in one death and several injuries. The crash happened at around 9:37 a.m. near the Del Valle Street intersection on Highway 71.  The CapMetro bus had stopped to pick up a passenger on westbound State Highway 71 when it was struck from behind by a vehicle carrying four passengers. According to authorities, at least 6 adults required medical assistance at the scene of the crash, including one person in need of CPR. Two people were treated for minor injuries and refused transport, and 4 were transported to two nearby hospitals. Three of the hospitalized patients had potentially serious injuries, and another was in critical condition with life-threatening injuries.  Two of the hospitalized patients were traveling in the vehicle at the time of the crash. Officials later announced that one of those patients had died. Pictures of the scene appear to show a white or silver Crossover with severe front-end damage. A CapMetro bus is shown with less significant rear-end damage. The roads near the collision were closed while the scene was processed, but all lanes were reopened by 12:49 p.m.

Preventing Texas Bus Accidents

Bus accidents might be more common than you think, but they’re usually not serious. In 2022, there was one Texas bus accident roughly every three hours. Thankfully, less than 1% of those accidents resulted in a fatality. Still, every one of those 17 deaths represents a tragedy, and it’s important that drivers do their part to prevent Texas bus accidents. You can help prevent bus accidents on Texas roads by following the safe driving tips below:

• Don’t tailgate
• Avoid driving in bus blind spots
• Be ready for wide turns
• Leave plenty of room
• Stay focused
• Don’t speed
• Don’t pass buses going downhill
• Make sure the bus is visible in your rearview before merging in front

The most important things to keep in mind when driving near city buses are that they are heavier than normal vehicles and so will have slower reactions and wider turns, and that they will make frequent stops and you need to stay focused to avoid a collision.

If you’ve been involved in an Austin bus accident, an Austin accident attorney can help you defend your rights to compensation.

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Source: CBS Austin, KXAN, FOX7