Mother suing HCS, bus driver after daughter allegedly fell out of a moving school bus

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF) - An Horry County mother is suing the school district after her child fell out of a moving school bus.

According to the lawsuit, the Horry County Schools’ student fell out the emergency exit door of a school bus as it traveled down the road at about 20 mph.

The bus driver, identified only as John Doe, picked up students for Carolina Forest Elementary School on February 25, 2022, according to court documents.

The lawsuit driver did not make sure students sat in assigned seats. The Horry County mother, Jamie Sharpe, claims her daughter, “K.D.,” sat in the emergency exit row after her seat was taken.

The lawsuit also claims the driver did nothing to, make sure the students stayed seated or to stop kids who were “horseplaying,” stating:

“The students were engaged in raucous behavior, horseplaying, popping up and down in their seats, and hitting students in the seats in front of and behind them. This behavior was occurring throughout the bus, including in the emergency exit row and surrounding seats.”

According to the lawsuit, as the students were “horseplaying,” the emergency exit door on K.D.’s row popped open and she fell out of the moving bus.

“K.D.” struck her head on the ground and sustained road rash on her hands and body, court documents state.

The lawsuit continues, the “bus driver did not stop immediately even though the emergency alarm on the bus was going off,” adding, the driver “did not stop for another 30 seconds.”

The lawsuit claims the defendants “acted in a negligent, grossly negligent, willful, wanton, and reckless manner and breached the duty owed to Plaintiff by failing to exercise even a slight degree of care.”

Sharpe is seeking damages & requesting a jury trial.

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