Meanwhile, Shutrump shared her observations made when serving as an expert witness on Susavage v Bucks County Schools Intermediate Unit 22, which resulted in the 2002 decision that school districts cannot absolve themselves of responsibility for student safety when they use a contractor to provide transportation service. Cynthia Susavage, a 6-year-old girl who was nonverbal with a neurological condition, choked while wearing wearing an improperly secured safet vest. She fell into a coma and died nine months later. A wheelchair was considered but never used, with the decision being made to use a special car seat instead. However, it was un- available on Dec. 11, 1998, and Susavage was placed on the bus seat in a four-point harness without the necessary crotch strap to keep her from sliding down in the child safety restraint system. A similar crotch strap can also be missing when a student rides in
a wheelchair, as was the case in several other fatalities on the school bus, most recently last July in New Jersey. Shutrump also explained that oftentimes student transporters secure the wheelchair but not the student when there is failure to use lap/shoulder seatbelts. “They know they have to tie down the wheelchair, but what they
don’t understand is that the shoulder and lap belt has to be fit directly and used according to the manufacturer guidelines,” said Shutrump.
Who is trained on wheelchair securement?
57% Monitors/ paraprofessionals
52% All school bus drivers
43% Only drivers of students with disabilities
20% Other (do not have wheelchair school buses, van drivers, sub drivers, only drivers/ monitors that transport a student in a wheelchair, all office staff and mechanics too, anyone requesting additional training, etc.)
(Out of 122 responses. Total does not equal 100, multiple answers allowed.)
May 31—June 4, 2024
Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, IN
Photo: Wayne Lee
Safe Journeys for Every Student Personalize trips for McKinney-Vento students with alternative transportation
Learn more at
everdriven.com
June 2-3, 2024
Indiana Convention Center Victory Field
Presented By In Partnership with
stnexpo.com/east/
www.stnonline.com 41
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