Family of Park Forest boy struck, killed by school bus files wrongful death lawsuit
PARK FOREST, Ill. (WLS) -- The family of a 7-year-old boy who was struck and killed by his school bus just after he disembarked has filed a wrongful death lawsuit.
Connor Kaczmarski was a student at Mohawk Primary Center in Park Forest when he was killed on January 20.
READ MORE: Park Forest police say 7-year-old boy struck and killed by school bus
The lawsuit names the school district, the school bus company and the driver.
"Number one it has to make sure that Connor did not die in vain. This instance has to make sure there is public safety awareness for these exact incidents," said attorney Bradley Cosgrove.
According to police, the driver's commercial license had been canceled two weeks before the accident for failing to provide proper medical documentation. However, no moving violations were issed against him because, police said, the driver "had turned the corner from the last bus stop. The child had been running alongside the passenger side of the bus and moved into the street directly in from of the vehicle."
RELATED: School bus driver who struck, killed 7-year-old boy in Park Forest didn't have valid license: police
The lawsuit, however, claims the driver "failed to exercise due care and proper precautions in the presence of children" and holds the company who hired him responsible, saying they "failed to properly train drivers."
"A seven year old child should have been dropped off in front of his home, at the very least on the same side of the street that he lived, right?" said attorney Joseph Murphy. "Or they could have followed the law and if they were going to drop him off on the opposite side of the street, the bus driver should have signaled that is was safe to cross the street."
Attorneys insist these are things that should be included at the beginning of every school year when bus routes are planned. ABC7 did reach out to the school district and the school bus company involved to get their response, but as of now have not received one.
