GA Father Facing Charges for Accident Involving Hall County School Bus that Killed His Daughter
A family is now left without a daughter and her father is facing charges for the fatal accident that occurred that involved a Hall County school bus. Below we share some details on what caused this unfortunate bus accident to transpire.
It was last month when Lonnie Anderson, 33, was driving his 1995 Ford Mustang with his 13-year-old daughter, Summer Anderson, and his 12-year-old son Zachary Anderson inside the vehicle with him. The Mustang apparently hit standing water on GA. 60 North near Rufus Bryant Road in Hall County, about an hour away from Atlanta, which caused the car to hydroplane. Hydroplaning is when a vehicle’s tires skid or slide across the road. As a result, the vehicle crossed the center line and struck a school bus head-on [Source: AJC]. It then rotated and hit the bus again, but this time on its left side.
The bus was carrying 19 Mount Vernon Elementary School students and was being driven by Barbara Flowers, 65. They were all taken to a local hospital to be checked out and were released shortly after their arrival as none had sustained any serious injuries. Unfortunately, Anderson’s daughter, Summer, did not survive the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene. Lonnie and his son Zachary Anderson suffered serious injuries and were transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center.
No drugs or alcohol were suspected as a contributing factor to the crash.
The Hall County School District released a statement saying, “We want to offer our sincere sympathy and condolences to the Anderson family of Dawson County who lost a child in the accident and want them to know that our thoughts and prayers are with them.”
Officials Charge Father for Fatal Crash
After the tragic bus crash occurred, Sgt. A.J. Allen with the Georgia State Patrol told AJCthat Lonnie Anderson would be charged with failure to maintain lane and slick tires. At the time that AJC reported that charges would be filed, Anderson was still hospitalized because he had suffered a broken shoulder and shattered pelvis so the charges were still pending until his condition improved. His son, Zachary, had to undergo surgery and was recovering at Northeast Georgia Medical Center.
A GoFundMe page was set up to help the Anderson family with the medical expenses they incurred as a result of the collision.
Anytime you approach standing water in the roadway, it is important that you do your best to refrain from driving through it. Progressive highlighted that “the average automobile can be swept off the road in 12 inches of moving water” so it is best to avoid it at all costs. Based on the accident described above, we see that standing water can lead to serious and even fatal accidents occurring. And the last thing anyone wants is to see their loved ones get hurt or worse, killed.
However, if you were in an unavoidable accident in Atlanta, GA involving a bus and are now looking to hire a bus crash lawyer to help with your case, USAttorneys.com is available to assist you with this. The Atlanta, GA bus accident attorneys we work closely with come highly recommended by past clients and have the necessary skills to help you obtain a favorable outcome.
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