The driver of a school bus was charged with careless driving on Thursday, after accelerating when traffic was stopped, causing a chain reaction involving three other vehicular crashes. The crashes occurred on CR 509 east of Murrell Road in Brevard County. One driver sustained minor injuries.
Florida Highway Patrol said that a school bus driven by Daniel Chaulk, 48, of Indian Harbor Beach was stopped westbound on CR 509 (Wickham Road) in the outside lane, east of Murrell Road. At 4:55 pm, on Thursday, the school bus was stopped behind a 2006 Ford, driven by Robert Parker, 90, of Melbourne. In turn, Parker’s vehicle was stopped behind a 2002 Chevy, driven by Luis Glen, 40, of Viera, who was stopped behind another school bus driven by Debra Schmitt, 55, of Melbourne.
Chaulk told troopers that he was looking down at some paperwork and thought that traffic had started to move and began to accelerate. The front of the school bus struck the rear of Parker’s Ford vehicle, causing the front of that vehicle to strike the rear of the Chevy, which in turn struck the rear of the school bus driven by Schmitt.
Glen, the driver of the Chevy suffered minor injuries and was taken to Wuesthoff Melbourne Hospital. Chaulk, Parker and Schmitt were not injured.
There were no passengers on either of the school buses.
Chaulk was charged with careless driving.
