Long Island Boy Killed When Transit Bus Crashes Into Home, How Common Are Bus Accidents?

Hempstead, NY- A six year-old Long Island boy was killed Tuesday after a transit bus crashed into his bedroom, injuring his older brother.
At about 9:30, as a Nassau County Inter County Express Bus driver was trying to avoid a hitting a pedestrian on Fulton Ave. when the bus  veered of the road, slamming into the front bedroom of a Hempstead home, according to the Times Herald-Record.
Six year-old David Granados was seriously injured and rushed to a local hospital where he later died. His seven year-old brother was also injured, but they were not life-threatening.
Santos Herrera, the boys’ father told NBC4 News, “It was a lot of noise. The bus came and pushed everything into the room.
Herrera told NBC4 News that he tried to save both of his sons, but he could only reach the seven year-old; the younger boy was buried beneath rubble that came crashing down as the bus plowed into the room.
“I went outside and broke a window and picked up Josue but David, I no see,” Herrera said.
Although the driver made evasive moves, the bus still struck the pedestrian, who was taken to the hospital. He suffered from multiple fractures to his skull, ribs and clavicle.
Several bus passengers were also taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
Police did not have reason to believe the bus driver was intoxicated or distracted at the time of the accident so they will not face any charges. However, the pedestrian was believed to be jaywalking so police may issue him a citation.
This is the second time a bus has crashed into a home in New York. In early October, the Gothamist reported that a school bus driver, who was DWI, crashed into a home on Staten Island. There were five students on the bus, none of whom were injured. And, luckily, the home was empty when the accident occurred.
On this site we report on bus crashes regularly. And in many instances these bus crashes, whether they are school busses, mass transit busses or tour busses end in tragedy or injuries to many people.
In 2011, tour bus driver Ophadell Williams was driving a tour bus of mostly Chinese men and women from Connecticut to New York. Williams apparently fell asleep at the wheel, lost control of the bus and crashed into a freeway sign just outside of the Bronx. The bus traveled 250 yards on its side before coming to a stop. That accident killed 15 people. (https://accident.usattorneys.com/trial-begins-driver-killed-15-ny-tour-bus-accident-year)
School buses can be dangerous as well; in late September a school bus crash in Louisville injured at least 48 students. A teenage car driver caused this accident and hit the bus with such force that it was knocked on its side.
The list of bus crashes could go one and can give one the impression that they are more common than they are. The reality is there are significantly fewer fatal bus accidents annually than car accidents. According to a 2009 study, there were approximately 212 fatal bus accidents compared to 18,315 collisions involving cars.
A study conducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Administration found that 15 out of 19 bus crashes could be attributed to driver error or distraction. But all busses, school or otherwise are generally more safe that passenger vehicles. Though bus accidents can net more injuries, several people can be hurt at one time as opposed to a regular vehicle accident where one or two individuals incur injuries, you are still less likely to be involved in a bus crash.