Cedric C. Camper III, 41, of Fort Lauderdale, and his passenger Otis Harvey, 37, of Sunrise, died as a result of injuries suffered when the car they were in struck a chartered bus carrying Fort Lauderdale students home from a field trip. Camper was pronounced dead at the scene, and Harvey was taken to Broward Health Medical Center where he died.
The bus, carrying 37 people, many of them students from McArthur, South Broward and Stranahan high schools, was returning from a field trip to Tallahassee. The bus was making a left-hand turn from the northbound lane on 27th Avenue. The car was traveling southbound. According to Sun Sentinal news reports, police prioritized the safety of the students before attending to those in the burning car, making sure that all were removed to safety immediately. Kevin Dupree, a spokesperson for the Fort Lauderdale Police Department said, “It appeared that the two men in the car that struck the bus died instantly upon impact.”
This is the second crash and second and third fatality in two days involving a bus and a motor vehicle.
Whenever someone dies in a motor vehicle accident, a wrongful death has occurred. The insurance companies of the charter bus company, as well as the school district, may be held accountable for the wrongful deaths of these two men. Why is it that buses, because of their sheer size, so often feel that they can make turns at will without regard for the smaller vehicle that may have the right of way? According to www.sunsentinal.com, the bus appeared to be making a left turn from northbound 27th Avenue onto westbound 11th Court and the car was traveling southbound on 27th Avenue. These findings are preliminary and could change.
If you have had loved ones who have died in a motor vehicle accident involving a bus, call the law firm of Joseph Maus. At the Maus Law Firm, we are zealous advocates for the rights of those who have lost loved ones in Broward County motor vehicle accidents due to the negligence and recklessness of others. Call us now.