Little girl annihilated by school bus, crushed under tandem wheels while crossing in front of it to walk home after family was denied driveway drop-offs: Lawsuit

Inset: Jenna Menias. Background: The country successful Frankfort, Ill., wherever Jenna Menias was allegedly struck and killed by a distracted schoolhouse autobus operator (WLS/YouTube).

The household of a 6-year-old Illinois miss is suing her school territory aft she was allegedly run over and fatally injured by a substitute autobus operator conscionable seconds aft stepping disconnected to spell home.

Jenna Menias, a 2nd grader astatine Grand Prairie Elementary School successful Frankfort, died connected Sept. 8 aft being struck by her autobus portion trying to transverse successful beforehand of it, her household says.

A suit filed against Jenna's schoolhouse territory and different territory that operated her autobus alleges that years of "disregard for the information of children connected this autobus route" yet led to her death, according to household lawyer Daniel Kirschner.

"It culminated connected this day," Kirschner told the Chicago Tribune, alleging that "numerous residents" person complained astir however the way is run, saying they bash not consciousness it is harmless for their children.

"Oftentimes children are fto disconnected rather a region from their house, arsenic was the lawsuit here," Kirschner said. "Children of a precise young age, arsenic was the lawsuit here."

Jenna was allegedly crossing successful beforehand of her schoolhouse autobus to spell location erstwhile the operator resumed moving, struck her, and past ran implicit the youngster with the bus' rear tandem wheels. The clang was ruled "preventable," according to police probe records obtained by section CBS affiliate WBBM, but constabulary person filed nary transgression charges, lone a citation.

A constabulary study obtained by WBBM says the driver took his eyes disconnected the roadworthy and was distracted portion Jenna tried to cross. Videos from wrong the autobus and different autobus traveling down it allegedly amusement the substitute driving with 1 manus portion holding and speechmaking a way representation successful the other.

According to the constabulary report, the operator tin beryllium seen looking successful the rearview reflector astatine different children connected the autobus and astatine the way map. He allegedly closed the door, retracted the information halt arm, and started moving forward, striking Jenna six seconds aft she stepped disconnected the bus.

The operator allegedly received his licence to run a schoolhouse autobus successful July, conscionable 2 months earlier the fatal accident, WBBM reports. This was the archetypal clip helium was driving Jenna's route, according to police.

"More than horrifying, it's infuriating," Kirschner told WBBM. "And, that's not conscionable connected the driver. That's an organization failure."

According to Kirschner, Jenna's household had been asking District 157-C — Jenna's territory — to fto autobus drivers driblet their children disconnected astatine their driveway close successful beforehand of the home. The territory repeatedly rejected these requests.

The astir caller explanation, according to Jenna's family, read: "Due to way timing and ratio requirements, we are incapable to supply idiosyncratic location stops."

Both schoolhouse districts being sued, Frankfort School District 157-C and Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210 — the relation of the autobus — declined to remark connected the probe erstwhile reached by WBBM and the Tribune. Reps called the "accident" a calamity portion extending their "deepest sympathies" and "sincerest condolences" to Jenna's family, WBBM reports.

Frankfort constabulary person besides reportedly refused to remark connected the case, citing an ongoing National Transportation Safety Board investigation.

The station Little miss annihilated by schoolhouse bus, crushed nether tandem wheels portion crossing successful beforehand of it to locomotion location aft household was denied driveway drop-offs: Lawsuit archetypal appeared connected Law & Crime.