There seems to be an increase in all sorts of bus accidents recently, and it seems that no one is immune. For example just this week, a tour bus carrying country music star Jason Aldean hit and killed a man named Albert Kennedy, who police claim simply “walked out into the middle of the roadway” as the bus traveled northbound on US 41 North.
According to the police report, the accident occurred at about 1:30 a.m. Monday in Vincennes, Indiana. Aldean was the only one on the bus at the time of the accident. He was on his way to Illinois for a vacation after wrapping up his tour. He was shaken by the incident, and released a statement on several social media accounts Monday, offering condolences to Kennedy’s family and friends:
“With a heavy heart, I’m sad to say that a man passed away last night after stepping out in front of my bus in Indiana. In all the years I’ve been touring and all the miles we’ve driven, nothing prepares you for something like this to happen. I’m praying for Albert Kennedy’s family and friends today and ask that you do the same.”
Police did not cite the tour bus driver for anything, because their preliminary investigation showed that he wasn’t at fault. Their preliminary investigation found that the driver did everything he could to avoid Kennedy, and they had no explanation for why he just walked into the road. Kennedy was well known by police, who claim they often saw him walking around town.
While the preliminary investigation at the scene seemingly cleared the driver, there are still a lot of questions that have to be answered before everything is just blamed on the pedestrian here. It’s possible the driver was distracted in a way that wasn’t apparent to police on the scene. It’s also possible the bus itself was defective or not maintained according to proper standards. State and federal officials will do a thorough investigation and answer all relevant questions.
Mr. Kennedy’s family deserves answers, which means a thorough investigation of all aspects of this accident. If you or a loved one have been injured or killed in a tour bus accident, especially as a pedestrian, contact the Texas Bus Accident Injury Lawyer at Hill Law Firm as soon as possible to protect your rights.