Student Dies in Accident at School
August 22, 2008 – 6:14 am by BrendanThe first of two tragic incidents in Knoxville TN.
In the parking lot of Byington-Solway Career and Technology Center next to Karns High School Eric Law died of injuries after falling out of a truck.
At the time, a Wednesday, Eric was helping a teacher move some table from one place to another. They had permission to transport the tables. A student was driving. Eric and three other students were in the back of the truck. Eric’s mother was called and she took him to the hospital. He died the next Monday.
The police department finds it troublesome that they weren’t called until the next day. I wonder why they would find that odd? When a child has an accident you call the ambulance then you call the parents. The police are not usually involved unless there is just cause for investigation.
The possibility may be that because this was a car accident the police feel they should be called. In my experience though, if an accident doesn’t happen on a public road the police can’t give a ticket. I don’t know if because public schools are public they can give out traffic tickets in those parking lots.
I obviously have very little of the story, but it doesn’t look like there was an intention to hide anything. It looks like what a reasonable person would do it a similar situation. What does seem to be happening is the teacher and the administrator will be blamed for the incident.
Look at the incident thoroughly before making a judgment. At least five boys asked to move some furniture at least two were 16 or above, the driver and Eric. (I assume the boy driving had a drivers license.) Most adults would assume that the boys could handle the task relatively easily and without incident.
Would you have held the whip to these boys? Would you require that they perform this favor under strict supervision and OSHA regulations? Would you have required that the boys not driving to walk back and forth across the parking lots instead of riding in the bed of the truck? Would you have driven yourself or perhaps stayed behind to work on another part of the preparation for school? Why are teachers and students moving furniture at all? Don’t schools have people to move that stuff?
One Response to “Student Dies in Accident at School”
Brendan, this is a very sad story with some excellent things to think about. I remember helping teachers out with special things like this in high school, but we were still strictly monitored. I definitely don’t believe the teachers are to blame for this, but perhaps they could have told the boys not to ride in the back of the truck. I also don’t understand why the police find it troublsome that they were not called right away - I don’t think a crime occured here.
By Kim on Aug 22, 2008