A deadly collision between an 18-wheeler and a Mount Pleasant, Texas, school bus carrying members of a high school track team is the subject of a lawsuit now pending in a Texarkana federal court.
The Mount Pleasant boys track team was traveling on Highway 271 about 10 miles north of Mount Pleasant on their way home from a meet in Paris, Texas, when a big rig being driven by Rooney Trucking driver Bradley Farmer veered into the bus' lane and struck it, according to news reports. As the bus spun out of control, a car being driven by an assistant coach following the bus was struck as well, killing the coach and Farmer. Of the 34 students on the bus, 18 were transported to area hospitals with injuries as was the bus driver.
A civil suit seeking damages on behalf of five parents and their children was filed April 12 in Titus County, Texas, District Court by Tyler, Texas, lawyer Nuru Witherspoon. Tuesday, the case was removed to a federal court in the Texarkana Division of the Eastern District of Texas on Rooney Trucking's behalf by Dallas lawyer Daniel Buechler.
The suit names five parents who are suing as "next friend" to five children who were allegedly injured during the crash.
According to the complaint, the students' lives were "changed forever" by the wreck. The complaint alleges the track team members suffered physical and mental injuries including post traumatic stress.
The complaint alleges the Rooney Trucking driver, who died in the crash, was negligent for failing to operate his truck in a safe manner, for veering into the bus' lane and for speeding. The plaintiffs are asking for a damages award of $25 million. Rooney Trucking has not filed an answer to the complaint.
The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Robert Schroeder III.