School bus driver sues over collision

A school bus driver claims she was injured when two vehicles struck the bus.

Kalia Davis, through her next of friend Kevin Collins, filed a lawsuit on May 6 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Walter Norris, Frank Pace, Patricia Brown, and First Student, Inc. Illinois, alleging negligence in a March 2013 collision.

According to the complaint, the plaintiff was a passenger on a school bus traveling eastbound on Camp Jackson Road in Cahokia when it was struck by two vehicles: a 1998 Buick Skylark driven by Walter Norris of Cahokia and a 2003 Ford F350 automobile operated by Frank Pace of Caseyville. The alleged collision occurred on or about March 20, 2013.

The plaintiff contends that the defendants failed to keep a proper lookout, control their vehicles, yield the right of way, sound their horns and enter a traffic lane appropriately.

Brown was driving the school bus owned by First Student in the incident.

The suit states that Davis suffered pain and mental anguish, permanent impairment and disfigurement.

The plaintiff seeks damages up to $50,000, plus attorneys’ fees and costs. She is represented by Charles Baricevic of Chatham & Baricevic in Belleville.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 15-L-272