Child Injured In Fairview Heights School Bus Accident on Frank Scott Parkway

Bus Accident - September 5, 2025

Eight-Year-Old Riding Bicycle Injured in Fairview Heights School Bus Accident by Winchester Place Apartments Along Frank Scott Parkway

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS (September 5, 2025) – A young bicyclist was injured in a Fairview Heights school bus accident along Frank Scott Parkway.

St. Clair County officials are saying that the collision took place around 4 PM on September 3, near the Winchester Place Apartments. The eight-year-old was riding a bicycle when he was struck by a school bus.

The bus driver was apparently able to slow down slightly before hitting the victim. First responders were called to the scene of the collision to help the victim.

He was taken to a local hospital in order to receive treatment. A full investigation into the Fairview Heights school bus accident remains ongoing at this time.

Liability for St. Clair County School Bus Accidents

School buses are considered common carriers in Illinois. According to the Common Carrier Liability Act (740 ILCS 25/), common carriers must operate with an abundance of caution to avoid collisions with pedestrians. Their drivers must be particularly cautious around children and any person who appears to be confused in the roadway. There are many ways that a bus driver may have acted negligently and contributed to an accident.

Speed: A bus driver may have been traveling too fast for the prevailing conditions.
Blind Spots: A bus driver may have failed to check their blind spots before making turns into a roadway.
Fatigue: A bus driver may have been fatigued and failed to adequately scan the road ahead of them.

If a school bus driver fails to slow down to avoid hitting a cyclist, this could form the basis of a negligence claim. In addition to liability on the part of individual bus drivers, the companies or municipal entities that these drivers work for could also be held responsible. As a general rule, employers are held vicariously liable for the wrongful actions of their workers–insofar as those workers were operating within the course and scope of their job duties.

Preventing St. Clair County School Bus Accidents

Thousands of people are injured in accidents with school buses each year. According to the National Safety Council, “School bus-related crashes killed 128 people nationwide in 2023, up 23% compared to the 104 deaths in 2022, according to National Safety Council (NSC) tabulations of data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).” There are a number of steps that should be taken to help prevent school bus accidents.

Training: School bus drivers should receive ample training on how to safely operate their vehicle.
Maintenance: School buses should be routinely inspected and well-maintained.
Background Checks: Bus companies should ensure that all school bus drivers undergo rigorous background checks.

The vast majority of school bus accidents are preventable. They tend to involve some amount of human error. In many instances, school bus drivers are simply not paying adequate attention to the road ahead of them. It is important for accident victims to understand that they do have rights. Even if a victim is partially responsible for a collision, they are able to seek some measure of justice and accountability through a personal injury claim.

Investigating Fairview Heights School Bus Accidents

We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our best wishes to the child injured in this Fairview Heights school bus accident and his family. It is our sincere hope that he is able to make a full recovery. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to the police. Many questions remain unanswered at this time. How fast was the school bus driver going before hitting the victim?

Have you or someone that you care about been injured in a Fairview Heights school bus accident? You may be entitled to financial damages. Our team of highly experienced Illinois school bus accident attorneys is here to assist you in any way that we can. We are committed to helping victims get the support and justice that they deserve under the law. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of assistance, we are here to serve your needs. You can contact us anytime at (312) 564-4256.