Boy Held in Deadly School Bus Accident

[Sirrich3]

NEW YORK - An 8-year-old boy was in custody after he sneaked onto a school bus and released its parking brake, causing it to roll forward and fatally strike a second-grader, police said Tuesday.

Officer Doris Garcia had said the boy was to be charged with criminally negligent homicide. But police later directed followup queries to the city's corporation counsel, which would handle the case if it goes to family court.

That office was still examining the issue Tuesday, said spokeswoman Kate Ahlers. The boy's name was being withheld because of his age.

Amber Sadiq, 8, was crossing the street near her school Monday afternoon when she was struck by the bus in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Crown Heights.

http://www.yahoo.com/s/313623

[KIISQueen]

Oh, how sad. My heart goes out to both families

[dougadam]

Yes a very sad story. Should the child be held responsible?

[Jenny]

I think it's crap that he could be charged, unless circumstances show that he KNEW what he was doing.

Josh is 8 and he just asked me a week ago what that pedal was. When I told him, he yanked his hand away really fast.

The people REALLY responsible are the ones that left the bus open for him to get into in the first place. :(

Very, very sad. :(

[DarkFury]

Officer Doris Garcia had said the boy was to be charged with criminally negligent homicide. But police later directed followup queries to the city's corporation counsel, which would handle the case if it goes to family court.


I'd think that they would have to prove that it was his INTENT to kill the girl to prove that.

Now if they had said "involuntary manslaughter"... well that might be different. Still, this most likely was an accident do to "tomfoolery"... and such a sad case indeed for all involved.

My question is... who was responsible for watching the kids? How did an 8 year old just "sneak away" like that without being noticed by the adults in charge?

[gwilks98]

dumb charges. I guess the PD doesn't remember what it's like to be 8. It's a sad thing what happened, but unless he was trying to roll over another student, he shouldn't be charged.

[Grubbie]

My question is how can an 8yr cross a street and get hit by a bus with no driver? Did the kid not look both ways, jump out of the way.

I understand kids go off in their own little world, but don't you think they would know how to cross a street/avoid getting hit by a car?

[welfareloser]

My question is how can an 8yr cross a street and get hit by a bus with no driver? Did the kid not look both ways, jump out of the way.

I understand kids go off in their own little world, but don't you think they would know how to cross a street/avoid getting hit by a car?

of course they know how. nobody follows the manual 100% of the frickin time. you ever space out and do something stupid? sometimes you get away with it, sometimes you don't.


unless he was trying to roll over another student, he shouldn't be charged.

:stupid:

[AlwayzMarel]

My question is how can an 8yr cross a street and get hit by a bus with no driver? Did the kid not look both ways, jump out of the way.

I understand kids go off in their own little world, but don't you think they would know how to cross a street/avoid getting hit by a car?

Where was the little old crosswalk man when he was needed?

[SecretIkon]

I'm pretty sure it was unintentional. The person to blame is the person who left the door open for the 8 year old to climb in unattended.

[Sirrich3]

:agree:

[gwilks98]

My question is how can an 8yr cross a street and get hit by a bus with no driver? Did the kid not look both ways, jump out of the way.

I understand kids go off in their own little world, but don't you think they would know how to cross a street/avoid getting hit by a car?


They didn't say that it was in the middle of the street. When I went to school, at the end of the day, the buses were parked in front of the school, in multiple rows so that the kids could board. We had to cross a lane of buses to get to ours. I would find it hard to fault the victim if that's the case.

And before everyone goes around pointing blame, please clear something up for me. I didn't think the doors to a school bus were lockable. (Fire/safety hazard for the kids inside.) There is no driver door, so the driver has to get in that sliding door. Was physically locking the bus even an option?

[modena]

No it is illegal to have locks on the front sliding door of a school bus. Same deal with the back door of the bus, it does not lock, just lift the arm and you can get out.