Florida Injury Lawyer Blawg
A high schooler was on her way to her school’s bus stop when she was hit and killed by a 60-year-old driver this week in Ocala, Florida, according to police.
The Ocala Police Department announced the death of Forest High School Student Shannon Rushing via a news release Monday. She was 18.
“We are heartbroken with this news and are supporting the family and school community during this difficult time,” officials with the police department said.
The crash happened around 6:20 a.m. near the 1900 block of NW Old Blitchton Road, a location that reporters with The Miami Herald noted does not have a sidewalk. The driver allegedly told police that Rushing was walking in the roadway, according to reporting from WESH.
It is unclear whether any charges will be filed. The investigation is ongoing, police said.
‘A Beautiful Spirit’
A GoFundMe page has been set up by the family to help pay for funeral arrangements to help them celebrate “a beautiful spirit” and honor her “life and memory the way she deserves.” In the page’s description, Rushing is described as loving and joyful, a positive person who could lift the spirits of those around her.
“Her warmth radiated in every room, and her compassion left a lasting impression on everyone she ever met,” the girl’s family wrote online.
The Marion County Public School District posted a memorial post for Rushing which has garnered thousands of likes and comments, many of which are from previous teachers, neighbors and friends sharing memories of their time together.
Leesfield & Partners
This recent tragedy underscores the importance of road safety, especially around areas such as school zones and school bus stops. School Bus Fleet, an online news platform that provides industry news, best practices and the latest information for modernizing school bus operations, reported that at least six children died in loading and unloading accidents across the country during the 2023-24 school year. At least one of these incidents happened in Florida when a 9-year-old dropped his football while disembarking from the school bus. When he crawled underneath the bus to retrieve it, he was killed by its dual wheels.
The other five incidents — which happened in New York, Georgia, Alabama and Texas — involved vehicles fatally striking the children as they prepared to get on or off the school bus.
BuPatrol, a company that has made recent headlines in Leesfield & Partners’ base location in Miami-Dade County, released data on stop arm violations. During the 2023-24 school year, there were over 45 million stop-arm violations across the United States. This
As a personal injury law firm with decades of experience in Florida, Leesfield & Partners has seen just about every manner of injury that can occur on the road. The firm’s attorneys are strong advocates for safe driving, especially around areas that may be congested with children — such as school zones and bus stops.
Previously, Partner Justin B. Shapiro handled the case of a minor who was hit and severely injured by a distracted driver after his school bus driver instructed him to cross the street. In that case, our minor client was waiting at the corner of the intersection just after 6 a.m. to wait for the school bus.
While it was pitch-black outside, the driver stopped in the middle of the road and turned on the vehicle’s flashing lights before signaling for the waiting children to cross the street where there was no designated crosswalk. Trusting their school bus driver, the group of children began to cross the street. A speeding driver then hit our client, causing him to be knocked unconscious and needing to be airlifted to the hospital where doctors diagnosed him with a traumatic brain injury.
Not only should the speeding driver have taken more care, but an investigation by Leesfield & Partners revealed that the school bus driver was in violation of state law by failing to ensure there was at least 200 feet of visibility in the direction of oncoming traffic. She also failed to stop in the lane that was the furthest to the right and instead stopped in a middle lane, leaving the children vulnerable to this kind of incident.
Mr. Shapiro secured a confidential settlement for the minor and his family, which was over the insurance coverage of the at-fault vehicle.
It is through litigating these pedestrian and motor vehicle injury cases that the firm’s Founder and Managing Partner, Ira Leesfield, became an outspoken advocate for public safety. In the past, and through the involvement of his charitable organization, The Leesfield Family Foundation, Mr. Leesfield has partnered with safety and advocacy groups such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Friends of The Underline to highlight these glaring safety issues and ensure that drivers are aware.
In Miami-Dade County, where the firm’s main office is located, there have been a total of 1,304 pedestrian crashes for 2025. Of these incidents, at least 55 people died. Last year, there were at least 1,875 pedestrian incidents that resulted in 75 deaths.
Previous Cases
Our attorneys are dedicated to securing the best possible outcomes for each client. Through innovative trial strategies, sharp investigative skills and a profound understanding of the law, Leesfield & Partners relentlessly works to achieve exceptional results.
Leesfield & Partners obtained an $8.5 million settlement following a $27 million arbitration award for the family of a young woman who was killed by a pickup truck driver while trying to cross the street. The woman, a wife and mother of two, was visiting Florida from her home in Toronto, Canada, when she was crushed by a pickup truck. The driver in that case claimed to not have seen her.
In a case also handled by Mr. Shapiro, the maximum recoverable amount set forth in the defendant’s insurance policy limits for a woman who was horrifically injured while walking back to her office following a midday break. The woman in that case was crossing the street in a marked crosswalk when a pickup truck driver made an illegal left turn, claiming to not have seen her. Her injuries included skull fractures and brain hemorrhages in addition to injuries to her left leg.
A $6 million settlement was secured for the client in that case.
In another bus accident case handled by the firm, Leesfield & Partners attorneys secured $3 million for a family of a special needs adult killed in a rollover crash on a cruise ship excursion. The family in that case was traveling on a cruise ship when they booked an excursion to explore at one of the vessel’s scheduled stops. Due to a faulty vehicle and negligent driver, the bus the family was on was involved in a grisly rollover crash that caused their son to be ejected from the vehicle. He died from his injuries.
A pedestrian-involved case handled by Leesfield & Partners resulted in a $2.9 million recovery our client who was injured due to a driver’s negligence.
The firm settled a pedestrian case in which our client was hit while walking on the sidewalk by a driver who was distracted by a cellphone. That case was resolved with a $1.5 million settlement.
In a case against a bus company involving the tragic death of a pedestrian, Leesfield & Partners secured a $1 million recovery for the victim’s family.
