Indiana district wants DOT to pay for bus damage
Bus drivers for Indian Creek Schools have reported that rocks used in a surfacing material on a stretch of road were flying up and cracking buses’ windshields and chipping paint while they were on their routes. The district has filed a tort claim against the state DOT and believes that it should fund the cost of bus repairs.
TRAFALGAR, Ind. — Indian Creek Schools has filed a tort claim against the state Department of Transportation (DOT) in a road resurfacing project that the school district said has damaged bus windshields.
The issue began a couple of weeks ago. Bus drivers reported that rocks used in a surfacing material on a stretch of road through Trafalgar were flying up and cracking buses’ windshields and chipping paint while they were on their routes, 6Newsreports.
Jim Singleton, transportation director at the district, told the news source that 11 buses in his fleet have been damaged. The school district is paying its insurance deductible to cover the cost of repairs, but Singleton believes that the state should pay.
"Since the state put the chip and seal on the road, we think maybe they are liable to pay for this," he said.
Gary Vandergriff of the Indiana DOT told 6News that motorists can avoid flying rocks if they follow the 35 mph speed limit and take extra precautions in the construction zone.
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