The mother of an 11-year-old girl who died after being struck by a car after she got off her school bus in Castledawson last week has called for greater safety measures to protect children.
Caitlin-Rose McMullan, a first-year pupil at St Pius X College in Magherafelt, died on March 6, and now mum Stella McMullan has started a campaign urging the authorities to do more to save lives.
She says she believes a ‘stop arm’ system, which is used successfully in school transport in the US and elsewhere around the world, could have prevented her daughter’s death, and she is urging those responsible for overseeing the NI school transport system to do everything they can to prevent further tragedies.
“I experienced a tragedy no parent should ever have to go through,” she said, launching a change.org petition which thousands have already supported.
“My daughter lost her life while coming off the school bus. It’s an incident that has left a lasting impression on me and my family and it is only one example of a widespread and urgent problem — the lack of effective bus safety measures in place to protect our children.
“I feel it’s my legacy to her to start getting more bus shelters, speed and bus awareness before some poor family will have this tragedy happening to them.”
Stella revealed that her daughter had died at the scene at Hillhead Road in Castledawson, close to her family home, before “amazing doctors helped to bring her back, but unfortunately she later died following her injuries”.
Those actions allowed Stella to fly home from abroad to spend precious last moments with her daughter before life support was switched off at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.
Having suffered a heartbreaking family tragedy, Stella now wants to ensure no other family suffers the same pain.
She believes all buses being used to transport children to and from school should be fitted with a US-style ‘stop arm’, a stop signal which flashes amber or red when a bus pulls over to let children off.
It is treated as a motoring offence in many US states for a driver to pass while the red light is displayed.
“Statistics from the National Safety Council reveal that most of the children who lose their lives in bus-related incidents are 4-7 years old,” she said.
“They’re either walking or hit by another vehicle, just like my daughter.
“It’s obvious that it’s not enough to simply trust drivers. More needs to be done to ensure the safety of our children.
“This petition is calling for the implementation of effective measures such as bus shelters, better bus codes similar to those found in countries where cars must stop by law to let children cross, and a significant increase in speed awareness around stopped buses.
“By giving children a safe place to wait for the bus, providing clearer regulations for drivers, and reinforcing the need for drivers to slow down and stay alert near buses, we can help prevent tragic accidents like the one that took my daughter from me. It is time we prioritise the safety and lives of our children.”
Caitlin-Rose McMullan
She added: “I hope as many people as possible sign this petition and join the call for improved bus safety measures.
“I’ve had a lot of people contact me already, so with the help of everyone, I believe something can be done and we can all work together across all departments to take the best action we can to protect all our children.”
Stella said many MLAs and MPs had reached out to her in the days since Caitlin-Rose passed away and said that she was especially touched to receive a letter from First Minister Michelle O’Neill on Thursday.
Caitlin-Rose McMullan
Stella’s campaign is being supported by local SDLP councillor Denise Johnston, who said: “As a result of this tragic incident, a beautiful young child, Caitlin-Rose McMullan, died. Her death was avoidable. We must do everything we can to protect our children.
“We should be assured that when our children go out to school in the morning, they come home in the evening.
“As always, my thoughts and prayers are with the family. But that’s not enough. Words aren’t enough. We need action.”
St Pius X College said Caitlin-Rose was “a very popular pupil, always smiling. Her form teachers described her as ‘a joy to teach due to her kind and fun-loving nature’. She was an outgoing, bubbly and caring child, who will be greatly missed by fellow pupils and staff alike.
“Over the course of Year 8, Caitlin-Rose earned numerous accolades for excellent effort and outstanding classwork, approaching every assignment with interest and enthusiasm.
“Caitlin-Rose’s friends and classmates are heartbroken by her untimely passing.”
Education Minister Paul Givan said he was “deeply shocked” to hear the tragic news, adding: “As a parent, when we set our children off to school in the morning, none of us ever expect to receive such devastating news.”
Caitlin-Rose McMullan
A spokesperson for the Education Authority (EA) said: “The safety of children and young people is EA’s highest priority and we are fully committed to working in collaboration with all partner agencies to inform and improve safety measures on our roads.”
A Department of Education spokesperson said: “The thoughts and condolences of the Department of Education are with the family and friends of Caitlin-Rose at this very difficult time.
“While responsibility for road safety legislation falls outside of the remit of the Department of Education, the Department fully supports a cross-departmental approach on developing any measures which would improve the safety of children on our roads.”
The Department for Infrastructure has been contacted for comment.
The petition can be found at change.org by searching for Stella McMullan.