A school bus incident involving the Aliquippa Jr. High football team has led to a lawsuit against the driver and the transit company. The crash occurred on Aug. 23 in Economy Borough, Beaver County, as the team was headed to a game. Twenty-one individuals, including the volunteer coach Jonathan Morris and 20 students, required hospitalization, with one student critically injured.
According to WTAE, Morris alleges that the driver, unnamed in the reports, was driving 'entirely too fast' and failed to navigate a turn, resulting in the bus fishtailing, flipping onto its side, and colliding with a pole. The pole's live wires then fell onto and around the vehicle. Morris is seeking $50,000 for punitive damages from the driver, $50,000 from the bus company, and an additional $50,000 for other damages.
Additionally, Morris accuses transit company ABC Transit of not properly monitoring and supervising its employees, mentioning the driver's record that reportedly 'made him unfit to safely operate a commercial vehicle.' The lawsuit holds ABC Transit 'vicariously liable' for the driver's actions. ABC Transit has declined to comment on these allegations.
Supporting these claims, attorneys with Morgan & Morgan, representing Morris, stated, "This terrifying incident which injured our client and 20 others never should have happened," in a statement, detailed by WPXI. They claim the incident was preventable and have vowed to ensure similar events are avoided in the future. Moreover, Morris's lawsuit seeks damages of over $50,000 for each of three counts from ABC Transit and the driver.
