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ODOT to install rumble strips on roadway where deadly bus crash occurred in ‘next couple weeks’

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CLARK COUNTY — Ohio’s School Bus Safety Task Force met for the fourth time in Columbus Monday.

A deadly school bus crash on State Route 41 in Clark County in August led the governor to create the Bus Safety Task Force.

At their meeting, the task force heard from a bus manufacturer executive who talked about the need for better visibility around busses for bus drivers, students, and other drivers.

“Until the last three or four years the focus has now kind of shifted to where most of the accidents and fatalities are outside the realm of the bus. So increasing the visibility in that area to all of those parties is probably the biggest key component that we need to be aware of,” Ricky Stanley, Thomas Built Busses state specification coordinator said.

>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Safety measure to be added to roadway where deadly bus crash occurred

News Center 7 previously reported that ODOT announced it would install rumble strips to a five-mile stretch of state Route 41, including the section of road where a driver went left of center, hitting an 11-year-old boy’s bus, killing him, and sending more than 20 of his classmates to the hospital.

ODOT Press Secretary Matt Bruning said Monday that crews will be installing the rumble strips “in the next couple weeks.”

“Any time there’s some kind of a crash, especially of this magnitude, we’re going to review everything along the roadway ... certainly, this is something that we can do to further reduce the risk of some kind of a crash like this occurring again in the future,” he said.

The next and final task force meeting will take place in November.

Then it will provide Gov. Mike DeWine and state lawmakers with a written report of recommendations in December.

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