Gloria Goulet Killed, 2 Injured in Stamford, TX, Bus Accident
Stamford, TX -- February 10, 2017, Gloria Goulet was killed, 2 others injured, following an accident involving a retirement home bus.
The Texas Department of Public Safety responded to the accident at around 10:30 a.m. just outside of Stamford.
According to DPS reports, 36-year-old Tewanna Moore was driving a Ford E-350 van for a retirement home. It's unclear how many people were on-board at the time. 76-year-old Goulet was one of these passengers.
Preliminary reports state that the bus attempted to cross the highway, but entered the turn to quickly. This caused the bus to run over both northbound and southbound traffic lanes and run off the roadway. The bus eventually came to a halt in a cotton field.
During the crash, Goulet was thrown out of her wheelchair onto the floorboard. She sustained critical injuries and was rushed to Stamford Memorial for treatment. She later died there. Moore and another passenger were injured in the accident and also treated at a nearby hospital.
Authorities did not report any charges or citations following the incident. They say the crash remains under investigation.
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Commentary
It seems like I'm stating the obvious when I say that drivers have a responsibility to operate their vehicles as safely as possible. However, this is especially so when the driver involved is a bus driver.
Bus drivers are held to a higher standard in Texas Law. Our law refers to bus drivers as common carriers, and they tend to face strict standards in terms of keeping their passengers safe. Whereas typical drivers are held to the standard of being reasonably prudent, bus drivers are expected to do everything possible to avoid an accident. It is their responsibility to do everything in their power to ensure the safety and well-being of their passengers. Whenever they fail to do this, they tend to face much harsher penalties under the law.
The reason the law works this way is that when someone holds themselves out to be able to perform a task professionally, such as safely drive people around, they take on added responsibilities for keeping their passengers safe. Many of us entrust our safety and our lives to professional drivers, every single day. This is why when a professional bus driver screws up and someone is killed or injured, there are serious consequences.
--Grossman Law Offices
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