Bradley Donovan Killed In Greyhound Highland Bus Accident

Bus Accident - July 15, 2023

Bradley Donovan, 47, of Springfield, Illinois, Died In Greyhound Bus Accident Along Interstate 70

HIGHLAND, ILLINOIS (July 15, 2023) – A man identified as Bradley Donovan was killed in a Highland Greyhound bus accident involving semi-trucks on I-70.

Illinois State Police are saying that the collision took place around 2:00 a.m. on Wednesday. A Greyhound bus was traveling from Indianapolis to St. Louis Missouri.

The bus slammed into three parked tractor-trailer trucks. Bradley Donovan was listed as one of the dozens of people on the Greyhound bus when it crashed.

First responders were called to the scene in order to help all of the victims. Both the Greyhound bus and the semi-truck involved in the crash showed major damage.

Sadly, Bradley Donovan was listed as one of the three people who died in the crash. Another 14 people sustained major injuries.

The NTSB is trying to determine what may have caused the collision. One of the factors that they are looking at is the proximity of the parked trucks to the road and the length of the off-ramp.

Liability For Illinois Bus Accidents

Accidents with parked vehicles may seem like freak occurrences, but they are actually fairly common. Many of these collisions involve semi-trucks. According to the National Safety Council, “In 2021, 5,700 large trucks were involved in a fatal crash, an 18% increase from 2020 and a 49% increase in the last 10 years. The involvement rate per 100 million large-truck miles traveled is up 7% from 2020, and up 22% in the last 10 years.” There are a number of steps that truck drivers should take to avoid collisions.

• Truck drivers should ideally plan their routes out ahead of time.
• Truck drivers should only park in designated parking spots.
• Truck drivers must follow federal and state regulations when parking in the event of an emergency.

All bus drivers must use a great deal of care to avoid collisions. Bus drivers are much more likely to loose control if they are speeding. Pursuant to Illinois Vehicle Code (625 ILCS 5/11-601), no person shall drive a motor vehicle at a speed greater than what would be reasonable or safe given the prevailing conditions of the roadway. If a bus driver leaves their lane of traffic and collides with a parked vehicle, this could form the basis of a negligence claim.

It is also possible that a truck company could be liable for a collision involving one of their parked vehicles. There are a number of state and federal regulations for when and where commercial trucks can park. Semi-trucks can become a lethal hazard for errant vehicles. In the event of an emergency, a truck driver should activate their hazards and may need to put out flares or reflective triangles to warn other drivers about their presence. Warning devices must be placed within ten minutes of an accident under certain conditions. Victims of bus accidents tend to suffer very serious injuries including:

• Broken bones
• Head injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Burn injuries

Even after a patient’s physical injuries have healed, many victims are left with long-term psychological damage. Sadly, many people will never get the opportunity to heal after a crash because their injuries are so severe that they die. The family of any person that died in a bus accident may be able to seek some measure of accountability through a wrongful death claim. The bus company involved in the collision could also be vicariously liable for any fatal bus accident.

Investigating Madison County Greyhound Bus Accidents

We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our deepest condolences to the family of Bradley Donovan. It is our sincere hope that all of the other victims will be able to recover from this horrific tragedy. There needs to be a thorough investigation into what went wrong. Buses do not simply veer off of the roadway for no reason.

Do you need more information about a southern Illinois Greyhound bus accident? Our team of bus safety advocates are here to answer any questions that you may have. We care deeply that accident victims are aware of their rights and that those rights are being protected. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, independent investigation into any incident we are here for you. You are always welcome to reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.