It’s a place where magic and dreams come true but for one family, it was a day filled with devastating horror when their nine year old son collided and was killed by a Disney property bus
It was a typical hot and sunny day in Florida when tragedy struck at Walt Disney World for one family. Following the usual bikes trails and paths with a friend, Chase Brubaker cycled on the theme park’s property without a care in the world.
But suddenly, his bike veered off the sidewalk where he was pedalling and struck the side of a passenger bus.
The little boy from St. Petersburg died when he hit the bus near the Fort Wilderness area. The Disney resort, that offers camping and an outdoor experience at Disney World, is located less than 10 minutes from Cinderella’s castle in the Magic Kingdom.
The boy was riding with his 11 year old friend, cycling in the same direction as the bus, and both children were wearing helmets. His female friend was left unhurt by the horror accident.
READ MORE: Horror moment boy tells parents his brother was decapitated on world’s tallest waterslide
The bus driver, a 30-year Disney veteran, was doing his regular loop around the campground and stopped immediately, but it was already too late.
Slightly veering off course was the one fatal mistake that Chase made. The sidewalk had no kerb, and when the boy veered out towards the middle of the road, he hit the middle of the bus and was pulled beneath the right rear tyre and killed instantly.
The bus, which was carrying 28 holidaymakers at the time, was travelling at one of the busiest times at the theme parks, with most schools across the country out for spring break and Easter weekend approaching.
The tragedy that took place on April 1, 2010, proved that the bus driver, David Rich, was not impaired or driving recklessly, according to Highway Patrol Sgt. Kim Montes at the time. “We believe it’s a traffic crash with a fatality,” she added.
Later, the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) has determined that in the April 1 crash that killed nine-year-old Chase Brubaker, the boy was “solely responsible” for the accident involving a Disney World bus.
The report also stated that the youngster’s bicycle had a flat rear tire and an under-inflated front tire that could have contributed to the crash.
Disney expressed condolences but did not provide additional details.
“We wish to extend our deepest sympathy to the boy’s family and loved ones for their loss,” Disney spokeswoman Andrea Finger said in a statement. “We are currently providing the necessary resources and care to help the family with this situation.”
Sadly, it’s not the first time other vehicle tragedies have happened on Disney property.
Near the entrance to Epcot, a Walt Disney World bus rear-ended a charter bus on March 23 of the same year, leaving seven passengers injured.
In July, two buses collided with a dozen people injured, suffering minor injuries and taken to hospital for treatment.
Finally, a 21-year-old monorail operator, Austin Wuennenberg, was killed when two of the trains crashed. Walt Disney World was fined $35,200 for workplace violations in that incident by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
