WAAY 31 spoke to the father of one the victims who died in the bus crash 3 years ago, along with his attorney who doesn't believe the National Transportation Safety Board report even scratched the surface of what really happened that tragic day.
The report basically said the driver of the Toyota lost control when passing the bus hitting the front tire this caused the bus to swerve and fall over the I-565 overpass then nose dive 30 feet to the ground.
The bus driver was ejected before the fall.
It's been 3 years but for victims and their families this crash remains fresh in their mind.
Calvin Fletcher, Father of Nicole Ford, said, "Sometimes it don't seem like it's been that long."
Nicole Ford was killed on that tragic day leaving behind her father and her now 7 year old son, Demarcus.
"He looks like his momma. He's got all her ways, at times it's like she's still here," said Fletcher.
Wayne Wolfe is Calvin Fletcher's attorney, he says the independent company contracted out by the city to provide bus drivers didn't properly train or check on their employees.
"Good safe driving habits taught by Laid law would have prevented this accident. Advising the bus driver to wear his seat belt would have prevented this accident, the death of these children. Not allowing the bus driver to drive while he was taking narcotic drugs would have prevented this accident," said Wayne Wolfe.
The NTSB report states that the bus driver was not wearing his seat belt and had smoked marijuana within a week of the accident.
"If they had done a proper background check on Mr. Scott and these other drivers they would have never hired them. They would have never hired them," said Wolfe.
According to Wolfe, since the accident, the board of education has changed the company they use to contract out bus drivers improving the safety of the children.
"There is a new contract with the city of Huntsville that I understand is a lot safer. It has a better safety record and is very conscious of the safety of children out there. So I think it's improved and it's improved greatly the actions that these families took and brought these facts to light," said Wolfe.
He says the driver screening process has improved and that the bus safety belts are now iridescent so other motorist can tell they have them on.
For Calvin Fletcher, new regulations or not, life will never be the same.
He will raise Demarcus helping him to do well in school and sports and answer questions about his mother.
"He knows she's gone to heaven. He used to ask when it rained, I said the Lord's making the rain and stuff like that and he said is momma helping? I said yeah momma's helping Him," said Fletcher.
The crash also led the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to mandate design changes for certain buses to protect passengers.
Smaller buses will be required to have safety belts, but in larger buses, like the one in the 2006 crash, seat belts will be optional.
Reporter: Stephanie Beecken
