Lawsuit claims Joplin R-8 officials' indifference, failure to establish safe bus stops led to hit-and-run death of Destiny Chambers

Joplin R-8 School District officials ignored complaints by parents about unsafe bus stops and that inaction led to the September 27 hit-and-run death of eight-year-old Destiny Chambers, according to a wrongful death lawsuit filed Tuesday in Jasper County Circuit Court,

The lawsuit, which was filed by Walter Chambers, the Soaring Heights Elementary third grader's father, claims the district failed to provide for the safety of its students in its decision on where to place a bus stop location which "exposed (Destiny Chambers) to the hazard of being struck by a motor vehicle."

According to authorities, a tractor-trailer unit driven by Lance Lee, 49, DeKalb, Illinois, struck the child and killed her. Lee did not stop until he reached Strafford and has been charged with felony leaving the scene of an accident.



The petition claims "Destiny Chambers was assigned to a bus stop location that exposed her to being hit and killed by a motor vehicle."

The second count claims district officials ignored complaints from parents about the safety of the pupils when they asked to have stops put on the residence side of the roadway.

Defendant showed complete indifference to our conscious disregard for the safety of its pupils in general, and Destiny Chambers in particular, when it failed to train its school bus drivers to establish residence-side stop locations. 

At the time defendant established a bus stop location unsafe for its pupils, requiring pupils to cross a highway, including on the day of the collision,  it knew, or should have known, it created a high probability of injury or death to their pupils in general, and to Destiny Chambers in particular, and thereby showed complete and reckless indifference to, and conscious disregard for, the safety of their pupils and thus warrants damaged based on aggravating circumstances.

Chambers is represented by the Hershewe Law Firm of Joplin.


Destiny Chambers' mother, Jennifer Leger, represented by Bradley Bishop of the Bishop and Hayes Law Firm of Joplin, filed a motion to intervene, asking to be included in the lawsuit.

On October 11, Judge Dean Dankelson dismissed an earlier wrongful death lawsuit filed by Chambers against the driver, Lance Lee, and the trucking company he worked for, USF Holland, at Chambers' request, though it can be refiled.

At the time, Chambers was represented by Joplin attorney Anita Oakes, according to Jasper County Circuit Court records.

(Disclaimer: I am currently involved in a lawsuit against the Joplin R-8 School District.)