CCSD averages over 40 school bus crashes a month since beginning of school year

Joshua Peguero
·4 min read
4

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – The Clark County School District is averaging over 40 crashes a month since August, according to data obtained by 8 News Now.

Video provided to 8 News Now apparently shows a school bus driving past a yellow light in Henderson, hitting a black SUV. The vehicle’s driver and passenger were injured in the crash. The head-on crash that happened on Feb 3, 2023, at the intersection of Valle Verde Drive and Warm Springs Avenue, sparked a lawsuit that was filed last week against CCSD.

<em>Video provided to 8 News Now apparently shows a school bus driving past a yellow light in Henderson, hitting a black SUV. The vehicle’s driver and passenger were injured in the crash. The head-on crash that happened on Feb 3, 2023, at the intersection of Valle Verde Drive and Warm Springs Avenue, sparked a lawsuit that was filed last week against CCSD.</em> (CCSD)

For nearly three weeks, 8 News Now has attempted to get an interview with the district’s transportation director to no avail.

According to the lawsuit filed as a result of the Henderson crash, police cited the school bus driver and found him at fault.

The day before that crash, on Feb. 2, a school bus failed to yield and crashed head-on with a semi-truck in North Las Vegas near Losee Road and Lake Mead Boulevard. There were no children onboard at the time of the crash.

  • On Feb. 2, a school bus failed to yield and crashed head-on with a semi-truck in North Las Vegas near Losee Road and Lake Mead Boulevard. There were no children onboard at the time of the crash. (CCSD)
    On Feb. 2, a school bus failed to yield and crashed head-on with a semi-truck in North Las Vegas near Losee Road and Lake Mead Boulevard. There were no children onboard at the time of the crash. (CCSD)
  • On Feb. 2, a school bus failed to yield and crashed head-on with a semi-truck in North Las Vegas near Losee Road and Lake Mead Boulevard. There were no children onboard at the time of the crash. (CCSD)
    On Feb. 2, a school bus failed to yield and crashed head-on with a semi-truck in North Las Vegas near Losee Road and Lake Mead Boulevard. There were no children onboard at the time of the crash. (CCSD)
  • On Feb. 2, a school bus failed to yield and crashed head-on with a semi-truck in North Las Vegas near Losee Road and Lake Mead Boulevard. There were no children onboard at the time of the crash. (CCSD)
    On Feb. 2, a school bus failed to yield and crashed head-on with a semi-truck in North Las Vegas near Losee Road and Lake Mead Boulevard. There were no children onboard at the time of the crash. (CCSD)
  • On Feb. 2, a school bus failed to yield and crashed head-on with a semi-truck in North Las Vegas near Losee Road and Lake Mead Boulevard. There were no children onboard at the time of the crash. (CCSD)
    On Feb. 2, a school bus failed to yield and crashed head-on with a semi-truck in North Las Vegas near Losee Road and Lake Mead Boulevard. There were no children onboard at the time of the crash. (CCSD)

Listed below is the data 8 News Now obtained showing the number of crashes school buses have been involved in from Aug. 2023 to Feb. 2024.

Aug. 2023 – 47

Sept. 2023 – 48

Oct. 2023 – 42

Nov. 2023 – 47

Dec. 2023 – 30

Jan. 2024 – 42

Feb. 2024 – 31

On Feb. 6, a student was sent to the hospital after a car crash involving a school bus near Desert Inn Road and University Center Drive. At the time, Metro police told 8 News Now they suspected the driver of the vehicle was impaired.

<em>On Feb. 6, a student was sent to the hospital after a car crash involving a school bus near Desert Inn Road and University Center Drive. At the time, Metro police told 8 News Now they suspected the driver of the vehicle was impaired.</em> <em>(KLAS)</em>
On Feb. 6, a student was sent to the hospital after a car crash involving a school bus near Desert Inn Road and University Center Drive. At the time, Metro police told 8 News Now they suspected the driver of the vehicle was impaired. (KLAS)

In Nov. of 2023, a school bus flipped on its side in a multi-vehicle crash, causing a passenger to go airborne. It happened at the intersection of Blue Diamond Road and Jones Boulevard.

The Clark County School District posted a video on its YouTube page in March with school bus drivers discussing how they prioritize safety.

  • In Nov. of 2023, a school bus flipped on its side in a multi-vehicle crash, causing a passenger to go airborne. It happened at the intersection of Blue Diamond Road and Jones Boulevard. (KLAS)
    In Nov. of 2023, a school bus flipped on its side in a multi-vehicle crash, causing a passenger to go airborne. It happened at the intersection of Blue Diamond Road and Jones Boulevard. (KLAS)
  • In Nov. of 2023, a school bus flipped on its side in a multi-vehicle crash, causing a passenger to go airborne. It happened at the intersection of Blue Diamond Road and Jones Boulevard. (CCSD)
    In Nov. of 2023, a school bus flipped on its side in a multi-vehicle crash, causing a passenger to go airborne. It happened at the intersection of Blue Diamond Road and Jones Boulevard. (CCSD)
  • In Nov. of 2023, a school bus flipped on its side in a multi-vehicle crash, causing a passenger to go airborne. It happened at the intersection of Blue Diamond Road and Jones Boulevard. (CCSD)
    In Nov. of 2023, a school bus flipped on its side in a multi-vehicle crash, causing a passenger to go airborne. It happened at the intersection of Blue Diamond Road and Jones Boulevard. (CCSD)

“If you have the mind frame of ‘I must be safe before anything else, safety before schedule, safety above all’, it becomes a lot easier,” Teddy Miller, the CCSD transportation instructor, said.

8 News Now requested an interview through CCSD’s Communication Department with Jennifer Volbis on April 11 to ask her about the steps the district is taking to keep kids safe on valley roads and the crashes.

<em>The Clark County School District posted a video on its YouTube page in March with school bus drivers discussing how they prioritize safety. (CCSD)</em>
The Clark County School District posted a video on its YouTube page in March with school bus drivers discussing how they prioritize safety. (CCSD)

The April 11 email had a deadline of April 18. On April 17, CCSD called 8 News Now to say they were working on fulfilling the interview request but needed more time.

8 News Now called the district on April 24 for an update on an interview with Volbis. Attempts for comment on Monday also proved unsuccessful.

<em>8 News Now requested an interview through CCSD’s communication department with Jennifer Volbis on April 11 to ask her about the steps the district is taking to keep kids safe on valley roads and the crashes. (KLAS)</em>
8 News Now requested an interview through CCSD’s communication department with Jennifer Volbis on April 11 to ask her about the steps the district is taking to keep kids safe on valley roads and the crashes. (KLAS)

CCSD stated in a news release that the district is below the national average when it comes to crashes per 100,000 miles.

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