Today a judge handed down a twenty year sentence to a trucker who injured seven students when he rear ended a stopped school bus with his naked wife in the cab.
Trucker Pled “No Contest” To Charges Stemming From School Bus Crash
The crash happened on September 29, 2014 on U.S. 301 in Bradford County, Florida. Just before three p.m. a school bus stopped to allow students off when an empty logging truck driven by 37 year old Shannon Ford crashed into the bus from behind.
The bus had lowered its stop arm and yellow lights were flashing at the time of the crash. The bus driver is believed to have lessened the impact by accelerating as soon as she realized the truck wasn’t going to stop.
Nine People Were Injured In Crash
Seven of the fifteen students on board were injured in the crash. One female student suffered a crushed leg while a male student suffered an open skull fracture.
Ford’s wife, who was found naked, was seriously injured in the crash. Ford was also injured in the crash.
A trucker named Terrence Jamerson who stopped to help the students admitted to the judge that he punched Ford after the crash and believed he was justified in doing so.
Judge Hands Down Twenty Year Sentence For Reckless Driving
Ford pled no contest to four counts of willful reckless driving with serious bodily injury, but says that Mo’s Trucking, the company that owned owned the truck, was to blame for the crash because they did not properly maintain the vehicle. He was sentenced to five years for each of the four counts.
Driver Had Been Inspected By FHP Earlier In The Day
Earlier on the day of the crash, the Florida Highway Patrol had pulled Ford over for an inspection after a report he ran two red lights and had a smoking, loose wheel. Ford was inspected and allowed to continue driving, though FHP later testified in court that eight of the truck’s ten brakes were defective.
Ford had five driving violations since 2007 and has been arrested on various charges including grand theft, domestic battery, burglary, theft, trespassing, and shoplifting.
Sources:
News4Jax
The Florida Times-Union