NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — On Wednesday, a man died after crashing into a Metro Nashville Public School bus. According to police, 62-year-old Bobby Haddix crossed over the double yellow line into the bus' path just before 6 a.m.
Three people were on board the bus — the two adults were taken to the hospital for minor injuries. A 15-year-old student was not hurt, and she was picked up by her mom.
An organization called Start School Later-Nashville tweeted about the incident, calling it evidence that school should start at a later time — something the organization has pushed for, for more than a year.
Terrifying. This wreck happened “just before 6am.”
— Start School Later - Nashville (@SSL8R_Nashville) November 17, 2021
This is just more evidence that our children SHOULD NOT BE ON SCHOOL BUSSES BEFORE 6AM! @MetroSchools knows this but refuses to act to protect kids. Enough is enough. Read more here: https://t.co/ZBOm1IgMyy pic.twitter.com/NwRuPmVag1
In a letter from the group in July of 2020, they wrote a later time could improve academic performance, lead to fewer absences, plus economic gain. The pushed for an 8:30 a.m. start time.
"While there are admittedly some barriers to consider, such as transportation costs and after school activities, when making this change locally at MNPS, a full cost benefit analysis clearly shows that the pros outweigh the cons," the letter said.
