With South Bend as its county seat, St. Joseph County sits in the uppermost portion of Indiana with the St. Joseph River flowing through it to Lake Michigan. St. Joe County is not that big, covering less than 400 square miles (it ranks 17th in the state for size) but it is home to over a quarter of a million Hoosiers, making it the fifth most populated county (Marion ranks first).
So, there is a real need for public transportation in St. Joseph County. That means buses – and with them, comes the risk of injury or even death in a bus crash.
Bus Services in St. Joseph County
In South Bend, public transit bus service is known as Transpo (the formal name is South Bend Transportation Corporation). Transpo routes move through the city proper as well as into other parts of St. Joe County. Connections can also be made via Transpo to other regional bus services, like the Interurban Trolley that moves through Elkhart, Mishawaka, Osceola, Dunlap, and Goshen. There are also “School Tripper” routes offered by Transpo.
For longer trips, Greyhound offers private travel bus service to St. Joe County at its South Street Station. Take one of the Greyhound bus routes and from St. Joseph County you can go anywhere in the continental United States and even into Mexico (think Monterrey) or Canada (like Ottawa). Of note, Greyhound buses have three-point safety belts as well as other safety features that have earned the company the “…highest possible safety rating from the Department of Transportation after every compliance check.”
There are also shuttle bus services here. For instance, there is the campus shuttle bus service offered by the University of Notre Dame. There are bus service partnerships with the University and bus companies like Royal Excursion, Cardinal Buses, and Transpo. The South Bend International Airport shuttle buses are operated by Transpo and Interurban Trolley.
Charter buses are offered for things like wine tours, casino trips, or sporting events (think Cubs, White Sox, Tigers, or Colts) by Royal Excursion.
And, of course, there are school buses. The St. Joseph School District offers student bus transportation through a contractual agreement with First Student, Inc. which touts itself as “providing students with the best school transportation experience for more than 100 years.”
Bus Accidents in St. Joe County
Riding a bus is safer than other transportation choices. No matter whether it’s a big, sleek Greyhound or a smaller charter bus going on a casino trip, or even a local yellow school bus, the statistics are comforting: among motor vehicles, especially commercial motor vehicles (CMVs), bus accidents are less likely to cause serious bodily harm or death to passengers or drivers.
The National Safety Council confirms that in the entire nation, only 104 people died in school bus-related crashes in 2022, for instance, compared to 42,514 fatalities reported that same year in car accidents. See, Morency P, Strauss J, Pépin F, Tessier F, Grondines J., Traveling by Bus Instead of Car on Urban Major Roads: Safety Benefits for Vehicle Occupants, Pedestrians, and Cyclists. J Urban Health. 2018 Apr;95(2):196-207.
However, this does not mean that bus crashes do not happen – even in St. Joseph County, Indiana. Consider the following news reports:
1. March 2025: Two Counts of Criminal Recklessness filed by St. Joe Prosecutor’s Office in School Bus Near-Tragedy
A PHM school bus was involved in a March 18, 2025, incident where a driver ignored flashing lights and stop signs and tried to get around the bus by driving past it on the shoulder of the road. Fortunately, no one was hurt in this bus incident. Read, “Mishawaka woman charged in PHM school bus incident,” written by Mike Murrell and published by WVPE on March 21, 2025.
For advocates of bus crash victims and their loved ones, this event brings back memories of the horrific bus tragedy involving a similar driver collision with a school bus route in Indiana where children died as a result of the driver’s actions. Read, Deadly Indiana School Bus Crash: Driver Charged With Reckless Homicide.
2. April 2025: South Bend School Bus Accident
An afternoon bus crash on Roger Street in South Bend happened with students on the school bus at the time of the accident. While one student did need medical treatment at the scene, no hospital transport was necessary. Read, “UPDATE: No children seriously injured in SBCSC bus collision Monday afternoon,” written by Kate Uebler and published by ABC57 on April 29, 2025.
3. May 2025: School Team Mini-Bus Hit by Box Truck Speeding From St. Joseph County Police
St. Joseph County police were in active pursuit of a box truck driven recklessly by a man who refused to stop for an officer on Indiana 2 and Timothy Toad when it sped over the county line and later slammed into two mini-buses stopped at a traffic light on US20.
The two mini-buses were carrying high school baseball players to a game; seven students and two coaches were hurt in the bus accident. One student had to be air-lifted by helicopter to the nearby hospital. Read, “Illinois truck driver arrested after hitting New Prairie team bus,” written by Mike Murrell and published by WVPE on May 9, 2025, and “Prayer Vigil for People Injured in Bus Crash,” written by Stan Maddux and published by HometownNewsNow on May 12, 2025.
St. Joseph County Bus Accident Injury Claims: Indiana Law
Each day throughout South Bend and all of St. Joe County, all sorts of people from children going to school or a sporting event; seniors having a fun outing to a casino or wine tour; or a bridal party celebration are depending upon those with possession, custody, and control of all aspects of that bus to keep them safe.
Buses move among our daily traffic routes with little notice. However, it is important for all of us to be aware that there is danger facing buses in St. Joseph County: winter weather, bad road conditions, flawed bus repair or maintenance, negligent drivers on the road (drunk, speeding, etc.), as well as improperly trained bus drivers may all be the reason for a bus accident here.
How bad the aftermath of a St. Joseph County bus crash is will depend upon many things: the size and weight of the bus as well as other vehicles involved in the collision; the speed and force of impact; the safety factors of the specific bus (Greyhound has safety belts, for instance, but this is not true for all buses operating in the area).
Of importance, under Indiana law, bus accidents come under a special area of injury law where buses are deemed to be “common carriers,” entrusted with a higher level of care under the law because they profit from passengers who are vulnerable to their safety protections (or lack thereof).
Common carriers are more heavily regulated under both state statute and federal regulation. Accordingly, accident claims filed by those hurt while riding on a bus in St. Joe County are somewhat different than the basic car accident claim.
Once the victim’s independent investigation has uncovered evidence of the cause or causes of the accident, several parties may be found liable for the bus crash. Claims may be made against the bus company; various government entities; contracting companies; owners or operators of the property or premises involved; manufacturers or designers of bus parts; repair service companies for the bus; as well as other drivers; the manufacturers or designers of flawed or failed parts on their vehicles; and more.
For more, read:
- Impaired School Bus Drivers: Alcohol, Drugs, and OTC Medications
- School Bus Accidents: Will Congress Make Kids Safer from School Bus Crash Injuries?
- School Bus Crashes in Indiana: Proposed 2019 School Bus Safety Laws and Accident Claims
- Bus Crash Dangers in Indiana or Illinois: Serious Injuries and Fatalities in Bus Accidents
- Fatal Bus Crashes in Indiana and Illinois
- Bus Accidents in Indiana and Illinois: School Bus Crashes and Metro Bus Accidents
- Fighting Bus Crash Fatalities in Indiana and Illinois.
Riding a bus is recognized as a safer mode of transportation in our country, but that does not mean we are immune to being hurt or killed in a serious bus crash even in St. Joseph County. If there is a bus accident here, Indiana law provides avenues to justice. Please be careful out there!
