The King George, Virginia woman who is accused of hitting four children that were waiting for a school bus in La Plata, Maryland on Tuesday, and then fleeing the accident scene, has been released on $50,000 bond after being charged with failing to stop after an injury accident and DWI (driving while impaired).
Two of the children, boys ages 4 and 10, were seriously injured and were being treated at the Children’s Hospital in the District. A 9-year-old, who was treated at La Plata hospital, has been released. A 17-year-old had also been injured.
Jacqueline Simmonds, 29, was driving toward a methadone clinic when her car went off the road and onto the sidewalk, hitting a group of children who were waiting for their bus at the stop on Glen Albin Road. She didn’t stop her vehicle and instead, kept driving, ran into a stop sign, and stopped 20 minutes later. She failed two sobriety tests.
Simmonds has previous hit and & run and DUI convictions and is currently fighting an addiction to methadone.
In Charles County, parents are calling for greater safety measures at the stop where the accident took place. They are planning to start a petition drive requesting the hiring of a crossing guard, the installation of speed bumps, and the relocation of the bus stop to an area where there is less traffic. This is the second accident at the Glen Albin Road school stop in the last 9 months. A car struck a child who was crossing the street last September.
Injuries to Minors
Children under 18 years of age who have been seriously injured in an accident can only file a lawsuit with the help of a parent, guardian, or another adult.
Serious injuries to minors can be life altering and extremely traumatic. In addition to injuries resulting from a motor vehicle-related accident, common personal injury accidents where minors are injured include:
• Playground accidents
• Amusement part accidents
• Swimming accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• Swallowing cough medicine or cleaning substances
• Pedestrian injuries
• Falls
If a minor that you love has been seriously injured in an accident caused by another’s negligence, contact Lebowitz and Mzhen. We represent minors and adults who have been injured in a personal injury accident in Maryland and Washington D.C.
Suspect in hit & run released on bond, WDBJ7.com, June 7, 2007
Parents Call for Increased Safety at School Bus Stops, Washington Post, June 7, 2007
Four Children Struck By Car in La Plata; Driver Impaired, Southern Maryland Online, June 5, 2007
Related Web Resources:
Staying Safe in the Car and On the Bus, KidsHealth.org
Kids Walk-to-School, CDC.gov