Ohio is crossed by major roads and limited-access highways in every direction, which speeds transit around and through the Buckeye State. These roads are safe in general, but occasional accidents can be harmful to drivers and passengers alike.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol stated that fatal accidents have been on the rise in Ohio for the last three years. This leads drivers to take extra caution to prevent damaging and injurious collisions.

Nine high school seniors and the 64-year-old bus driver returning them from a field trip were injured when their school bus was rear-ended by a semitruck in Interstate 71 just south of U.S. Route 30 in Mifflin Township. The force of the collision was so great that a person in the bus reported that “it felt like something exploded.”

The Ohio State Highway Patrol arranged the transport of the injured to a local hospital and the other students to a nearby restaurant. The driver of the tractor-trailer was cited for failure to maintain assured clear distance ahead.

Families of the students, from Marysville in Union County, were relieved to learn that there were no grave injuries or fatalities after the crash. However, this was a very fortunate result, as school buses often lack even basic restraints to protect their passengers from collisions.

People injured in collisions caused by tractor-trailers and other heavy vehicles on the roads of Ohio are eligible to claim damages to compensate them for medical expenses and other costs related to recovery. An attorney may help families sort out their options for settlements or civil lawsuits following these incidents.

Source: Richland Source, “Marysville students injured in bus vs. semi crash on I-71,” Tracy Geibel, Dec. 08, 2017