Albany, GA — May 9, 2024, Robert Skaggs was killed following a school bus versus police car accident at 11:00 a.m. on North Jefferson Street.
According to Albany Police and Dougherty County officials, the incident occurred at the intersection of North Jefferson and 7th Avenue.
It appears 67-year-old Robert Wayne Skaggs was on foot in the area of the crossing. At the intersection, it appears a school bus and a police vehicle responding to an emergency call collided. This sent the bus off-road where it hit Skaggs, pinning Skaggs to a traffic light pole. As a result, Skaggs was killed. It appears at least three people who were on the bus had critical injuries, as well.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
Right now there’s some dispute over if the police vehicle had its lights and sirens on or if it failed to yield to the bus. Either way, though, there may be unique hurdles to consider after a crash like this. Commercial vehicle accidents present enough challenges on their own. But when the entities involved are government agencies, that only introduces additional hoops for victims and families to jump through.
Government entities are just as hard-headed as any company when it comes to trying to avoid responsibility. In a lot of cities, counties, and states, though, the law creates additional barriers and rules that require particular tools and legal experience to overcome. This can include rules about how long victims and families have to file a claim, who all can be held responsible, and even to what degree those agencies can actually be held accountable.
So whoever is ultimately responsible for all of this, the challenge will no doubt be navigating an especially complex legal maze to actually get them to take responsibility. I’ve even seen some less experienced attorneys find that out the hard way. They think they’re walking in to a typical commercial vehicle accident only to find they weren’t at all prepared for the unique environment they found themselves in. That’s why it’s important victims and families know they’re prepared for those challenges as soon as possible. Knowing the facts of the crash is obviously a prudent first step, but it will no doubt be just one of many.
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