6-Year-Old Girl Killed by School Bus on Canyon Creek Circle in Parker County, TX
Parker County, TX -- April 25, 2022, a 6-year-old girl died when she was hit by a school bus along Canyon Creek Circle in Parker County.
Authorities say the incident happened shortly after 4:00 p.m. on the 400 block of Canyon Creek Circle, southwest of Weatherford. Preliminary investigation suggests a Brock ISD bus stopped and offloaded several students, including the girl. Investigators say the girl briefly ran into the barrow ditch on the roadside; as the last student cleared the front of the bus she started to walk in front of it from the right. The bus driver, watching the student they thought was last to pass by, started to pull forward and struck the girl in the street.
The girl was pronounced dead at the scene. No other injuries were reported.
No further information is currently available.
Commentary on School Bus Accident on Canyon Creek Circle in Parker County
Investigations have only just begun here, and despite the gravity of the accident it's important that nobody jump to conclusions about it. I know from long experience that some folks may be tempted to immediately start flinging around accusations about driver distraction or simple inattention while pulling the bus away, or to stand up for the driver and point to how authorities said the girl re-entered the vehicle's path. Any of those could have been factors in the tragedy that occurred, but it's important not to take any of them for granted as authorities continue trying to connect the dots.
Without making any accusations or presumptions, there are still some considerations and questions police should address to ensure they know the whole context of this tragedy. Was the driver appropriately licensed to operate the bus? Do they have any history of traffic accidents or unsafe driving? Did police check the driver's cell phone records for texts or data usage right before the collision?
It's critical to find answers because right now all anyone can see is that a tragedy befell a young girl. I don't doubt that was an accident, but those still have causes and it's important to find out what caused this one. That doesn't mean I'm tossing the gauntlet at the bus driver or the school district, particularly with the story in reports. There may truly have been little to nothing the bus driver could do. In talking about thorough investigation and asking more questions, I'm only trying to encourage learning the whole truth for everyone's sake.
The most important fact of all to account for is that a child lost her life here. Her loved ones deserve no less than the full story of how that terrible and irreversible damage was done. If steps might be taken to hold someone accountable for their loss, knowing that may depend on what experienced professionals uncover during their investigation.
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