A 10-year-old girl was flown to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt after a truck struck her in Dickson County, Tennessee, on Monday afternoon. The incident occurred on private property on Highway 48 South. According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s preliminary report, the girl had recently gotten off a school bus before the collision. Troopers reported that a 2022 Dodge Ram 2500 was traveling on the property when it struck her near the side of a driveway over a slight hill crest. The truck driver was not injured. THP is investigating, and its preliminary report listed no charges. The available report does not determine what caused the collision or whether anyone will be found legally responsible. What Makes This Incident Different This reported collision involved a child who had recently exited a school bus, but it occurred on private property rather than on a public roadway. That setting can make the fact review especially important because the evidence may need to clarify the layout of the property, the driveway area, and the movements of the truck, the child, and the school bus immediately before the impact. The report also places the collision near a driveway and a slight hill crest. Those reported physical features may be important to understanding what could be seen from different positions. They do not, by themselves, establish why the crash occurred or who may be responsible. The evidence will determine those issues. Questions Investigators May Examine Investigators may examine conditional questions such as: - Whether the positions and movements of the truck, school bus, and child can be established from available evidence. - Whether the driveway area and hill crest affected what a driver or pedestrian could see. - Whether the timing of the child’s exit from the school bus can be clarified. - Whether any witnesses, video, photographs, or vehicle information may help explain the sequence of events. - Whether the preliminary findings change as THP completes its investigation. These are questions, not conclusions. A preliminary report may not contain all of the information later available to investigators, insurers, or the families involved. Evidence That May Need to Be Preserved After a serious child-pedestrian collision, evidence can disappear quickly. Depending on what exists, families and their representatives may seek to preserve: - THP reports, supplemental reports, photographs, measurements, and any available reconstruction materials. - Photographs or video showing the private property, driveway area, hill crest, and surrounding approach paths. - Video from nearby cameras, the school bus, or other sources that may have captured the area. - School-bus records that may help document the stop, passenger exit, or bus movements. - Statements and contact information for people who saw events before or after the collision. - The 2022 Dodge Ram 2500 and any vehicle data or inspection information that may be available. - Medical records and bills relating to the girl’s treatment and ongoing care. Preservation requests should be made promptly and carefully. They should seek relevant materials without assuming that a particular record, video, or electronic data source exists. What Families Should Know A child’s injury can leave a family facing urgent medical decisions, missed work, insurance calls, and uncertainty about what happened. It is generally wise to keep copies of medical records, transportation and care-related expenses, photographs, communications with insurers, and information identifying potential witnesses. In Tennessee, many personal-injury claims have a one-year filing deadline, although the applicable deadline can depend on the type of claim, the parties involved, and other circumstances. Rules affecting claims involving children can also be complicated. Families should not rely on an insurer’s assessment of a deadline or wait for an investigation to conclude before learning about their options. An investigation and an insurance claim are separate processes. THP’s review may provide important information, but a family may also need an independent review of the available evidence to understand potential claims and available insurance coverage. No outcome can be guaranteed, and responsibility must be determined from the facts and applicable law. How Dunk Law Can Help Dunk Law can help Tennessee families after a serious child-pedestrian crash by reviewing the known facts, seeking prompt preservation of relevant evidence, and evaluating insurance issues connected to the injury. Our team can communicate with insurers while families focus on their child’s medical needs and can explain the legal deadlines that may apply. For a family dealing with a collision after a child exited a school bus, an early legal review can help identify what evidence should be requested before it is lost. Dunk Law can discuss the situation confidentially and explain potential next steps based on the available facts. Related Dunk Law Resources - Bus accident claims - Catastrophic injury claims - Wrongful death claims This post is based on publicly available news reports and is provided for general information only. It is not legal advice.