'She left this world smiling and dancing'
PORTLAND, Ore. – The family of the 11-year-old girl who died after falling out of a party bus said Wednesday they want to remember Angie Hernandez as a loving, sweet and funny girl.
Two dozen kids were riding a party bus for a weekend birthday party in downtown Portland when Angie leaned against an emergency exit window, fell out and died on the street.
Angie's older brother, Andy, and her cousin and birthday girl, Aylin Salas Lara, were both on the bus last Saturday night and saw the accident happen. They were expecting to dance – not cry – and said Wednesday it was still painful to talk about the accident itself.
Instead, they wanted to remember the girl they loved and who was excited for the big party.
"She was so excited," said Aylin. "She said, 'Oh my gosh, I can't believe your Quinceanera is coming up.' It was the party of the year. We had so many plans ahead. We were going to dance all night. We were going to celebrate."
"It's not easy losing a little sister. Stay strong for your family. Keep your head up," said Andy, adding that his sister would often pull pranks, liked to eat and always had a smile.
Aylin also remembered the importance of Angie’s smile.
"I'm going to remember it as the last day I got to see her smile," she said. "She left this world smiling and dancing. That's how I'm going to remember it. That's the only way I'm going to remember it."
Aylin and Andy said they're cooperating with police and hoping investigators figure out what happened. They said the horrible accident is bringing the family even closer together.
Late Wednesday night, KATU's news partners at The Columbian reported that the federal government is investigating the company in charge of the party bus, Five Star Limousine.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is looking at the business's safety practices.
The Columbian reported state officials say the company did not have proper permits to operate in Washington. KATU News has already discovered it did not have permits to operate in Portland.
I miss Angie I knew her...she was my friend r.i.p
Such a tragedy and preventable. I hope the State steps in. These children should have had adult supervision.
As a side note, vote no on the libraries since that is the advertisement that is before the video. Vote no to any taxes.
Where were the parents during this bus trip. Who leaves their 11 year old child to the sole custory of a bus driver they do not know from anyone else on planet earth. A veritable stranger, as a matter of fact. With a bus load of like minded unattended children - driving them all around town. With no one supervising any of them?Â
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Who does that - with their defenseless child? I cannot quite comprehend how detached and completely NOT thinking - these parents were - from being their child's proactive legally accountable custodians.Â
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What the heck - I sure hope this family is "closer together" now. After this death. This totally preventable, did not need to occur death. Of a child. Care to opine about this incident, State of Oregon. Child Protective Services, specifically?Â
Some of you might be missing the point - if this was a typical party bus, it wouldn't have the standard bus seat configuration that you're thinking it does. For an example, go look at the pictures posted here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party_bus
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They're made to be for standing up - like many other types of mass transport are - so leaning against the wall where the emergency door/window would be would not be unusual
 @starshadow Missing the point? Ah, I think we all get the point here. If there had been even one proactive supervising, accountable adult responsible for the CHILDREN on this bus - this would not have occured. Who negligently lets their children be driven around town by a complete stranger like this. This bus driver - he is not any of their legal custodians.Â
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Preventable death - if only this child's parents had desired to accompany her. And competently and LEGALLY supervise her.Â
Reposting my previos thoughts ...
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This is a tragedy for sure, but as I think about the situation it seems to me that there were mistakes all around. A moving bus full of junior high kids all wound-up for a party, out of their seats and dancing to loud music is not a safe situation.  It is the responsibility of the attending adults to exercise good judgment and not allow the kids to be dancing in the aisle or sitting on top of the seats in a moving vehicle. The result would likely have been the same if the bus had gotten into an accident along the way.Â
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So, first of all, it appears the chaperones were negligent in their duty to properly supervise the children. Now the bus company didn't have the proper permit to "pick up the group in the city". They are responsible for that and deserve to be fined, but did that really significantly contribute to the death of the girl? If the bus was mechanically unsafe or the driver caused an accident, then the company is liable. If the adults on the bus were not responsible enough to keep kids off the back of the seats, then it is likely that they were also not responsible enough to notice the kids unlocking the emergency window to let more air into the bus and keep it cool. In my opinion, it is the adults who bear the majority of the burden for the girlâs death and, if anyone should be sued, it is them. We will see what the parents do. If they are like many others, they will go after the limo company because there is money to be had instead of going after the adults that were charged with keeping the children safe. It is tough to say what I would do in their place, but I don't think the limo company deserves to be sued in this case.
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If other limo companies in the area are smart, they will simply refuse to drive the bus unless everyone is seated.Â
 @Finally Chaperone's? Come on - an 11 year old was left to  pack mentality of children on that bus. There were no adult chaperones anywhere on that bus. At all.Â
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And a totally preventable death of a child occured because of that fact. NO ONE CARED to accompany and supervise their children. No one.Â
@englishdaisy
You're absolutely right. There were no adults on the bus except for the driver. I found the following from another newscast organization. Even though it has been a few days, I thought it would be useful to post.
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"Lt. Robert King, a Portland police spokesman and Alberto Avelaneda, an uncle of Angie, said there was no adult in the bus besides the driver."It was like a nightclub environment," King said. He said Angie was sitting on the top of a horseshoe-shaped banquette, which was impounded by police."She was sitting on top of the couch," King said. "She didn't have any way to hold on. When the window opened, she just fell."
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Unbelievable negligence on the part of every parent of the children on that bus but even more so for the parents of the girl who rented it!
I'm not saying that you're wrong about no adults being on the bus, but where are you getting that information? I haven't seen it reported that way in any of the stories that I've read so far, but the failure to mention the word "adult" in any report is quite suspicious. I admit that, as a father of 5 children, that the thought of there being no supervision at all never even entered my mind. I hope it isn't true, but if there was no supervision provided by the parents of the "birthday girl" then the responsibility falls on them. And, if true, why hasn't KATU reported it that way?
Would having all the permits prevented this? Probably not. As with everything else a piece of paper will not protect anyone.
 @RalphCramden When parents choose to be negligent the state cannot step up and protect children. That's for sure.Â
 @englishdaisyÂ
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It seems that the whole thing is focused on having the correct paperwork. No details on the window like it being defective or was she sitting on the seat incorrectly (like the top of the backrest).
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Those windows are designed to be pushed out easily but are up high to prevent someone from falling out. This leads me to believe that she was up high on the back of a seat.
What in the world ? First, where were the chaperons ? We seem to want to put all the blame on the bus company and the driver.. Remember, this is a man driving a bus.. So, let's see who was in charge of these children, whey they were up on the back of the seats and then finally falling out of the window.. Who was in charge of watching these children ? Please don't tell me the bus driver, he has a bus to drive, lights to go through, pedestrians to watch and then a bunch of children on is bus.. Where were the people who were supposed to watch these children on this bus.... Let's talk about that !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Look at a full school bus on the way home from school or to school. How many caperones do you see?
 @swimmer Seems the difference is that on a school bus the kids must sit down or the bus driver can pulls over until they do. On a party bus, I would think, they wouldn't want to force everyone to behave like they are on a school bus or the people renting would go to a different company. That would make some of the blame fall on the people renting.
Much to young to go. R.I.P Â Angie Hernandez.R.I.P.
 @cpt.iceman Fact. Much too young. Preventable death. Shame. Shame. Shame.Â