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Two Dead After Charter Bus and Car Collide in Fort Lauderdale


The Sun Sentinel reported that two men died in a fatal motor vehicle crash after their Dodge

Challenger slammed into a charter bus carrying several students as it pulled out from Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Police said that the Fort Lauderdale auto accident occurred around midnight at the intersection of Northwest 27th Avenue and 11th Court, near Sunrise Boulevard.

According to Officer Keven Dupree, a spokesman for the Fort Lauderdale Police Department,, the driver of the car, Cedric C. Camper III, 41, of Fort Lauderdale, “pretty much died on impact.” His passenger, Otis Harvey, 37, of Sunrise, was pronounced dead at Broward Health Medical Center according to the police.

The news reported that the bus was returning from a four-day Tallahassee field trip and had 38 people on board — 34 students from McArthur, South Broward and Stranahan high schools, three chaperones and the bus driver.

In a heartbreaking report, at about 3 a.m. Harvey’s frantic father showed up begging for information. His family and friends told the news how much he was loved.

The Police Are Working To Determine The Cause Of The Crash

A preliminary investigation shows the bus appeared to be making a left turn from northbound 27th Avenue onto westbound 11th Court and the car was traveling southbound on 27th Avenue, according to the police.

“This is all preliminary,” Dupree said. “At this time it’s still an ongoing investigation. We really don’t know what the cause of the accident was. It will take some time for us to get results and lab tests from the Medical Examiner’s Office.”

Generally, after a fatal car accident, traffic homicide detectives get involved and help investigate the crash to determine fault, and any potential crimes. They typically write a traffic homicide report detailing their findings.

Wrongful Death Analysis Begins

The traffic homicide detectives are working to determine whether there was negligence or reckless conduct that caused the crash or the injuries or death. If they find that the bus driver was negligent, that could lead to a wrongful death claim in Fort Lauderdale. The Florida wrongful death case would be brought by the survivors of the men who died and would seek to hold all those responsible who caused or contributed to the death. In this case, they would likely file a wrongful death claim against the bus company and driver.

A wrongful death claim would seek payment for funeral expenses, emotional damages like pain and suffering, lost wages and net accumulations of what the men would have provided to their family, and loss of support and services that the family now must pay someone else for, among other damages. A fatal bus accident is not only emotionally devastating, but can take a huge instant financial toll on the family of the men who died.

While families may not think about a wrongful death claim right away as they mourn and try to heal, there is a 2 year limit generally in Florida to file a claim for wrongful death following a fatal bus accident. Evidence may also disappear over time and it is often helpful to have a wrongful death attorney in Florida guiding the family through the resolution of the legal claim.

Questions about a Fatal Car Accident in Florida?

Feel free to send us a message or call our office at 954-515-5000 with any questions.

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