Andrew Kim Law Firm, PLLC | Washington Legal Blog

Bellevue High School football team injured in Des Moines bus accident on I-5 | Bellevue bus accident attorney

The dangers of unsecured loads on trucks or other vehicles became obvious once again in this recent bus accident that occurred on I-5 in Des Moines, Washington this past Friday.  The Bellevue High School football team was on its way to the Tacoma Dome for a playoff game when the driver of the charter bus swerved hard to the right to avoid hitting a ladder on the roadway, crossed another lane of travel and crashed into the shoulder embankment landing on its side.

The ladder had fallen off a red pickup truck which left the scene and is currently under criminal investigation for losing an unsecured load causing injuries.  Washington state passed a law in 2005 making it a criminal act to fail to secure a load if it comes loose and hurts or kills someone.  See RCW 46.61.655

Several of the passengers were injured and taken to local hospitals.  Fortunately, there were no serious injuries reported.

The driver of the pickup truck is clearly at fault for not securing his load and causing the bus accident.  However, whether the bus driver for the Bellevue High School football team was also partially responsible remains to be seen and will need to be investigated.  Cases like this is a matter of finding out which insurance policies would apply and making a full recovery for our clients.

This Bellevue bus accident is the second crash involving Seattle area high school teams within the past eight months.  Twenty one members of the Garfield High School varsity and junior varsity softball teams were hospitalized when their 12 foot high chartered bus crashed into a 9 foot high underpass in the Washington Park Arboretum.  The driver in that case was not paying attention to his driving and instead was looking at his GPS device.


If you would like to speak with a Bellevue, Washington bus accident attorney, please call (425) 289-1990.