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The shared sorrow experienced by the families of Bobb Hogg and Stella McGinn connects them in a tragic way they never wished for. Both fathers lost daughters named Caitlin—Stella’s daughter being Caitlin-Rose, and Bob’s daughter named Caitlin with the middle name Rose—who left for school but never returned home. Although these heartbreaking events occurred two years apart and in different regions, the similarities are striking: each girl was fatally struck by a vehicle after alighting from a school bus.
Beyond the shared grief, these families have united in their advocacy to change Northern Ireland’s laws to enhance school bus safety. Currently, there is no legal obligation in the UK requiring drivers to stop for school buses when children are boarding or disembarking. Responding to this gap, the infrastructure minister in Stormont, Liz Kimmins, recently launched a consultation seeking public input on legislative proposals aimed at strengthening protections for children traveling by school bus. One of the key suggestions is to ban overtaking stationary school buses under specific hazardous circumstances. Local authorities have also shown support, with Mid Ulster Council passing a motion last year advocating for such legal reforms.
Stella McGinn’s daughter, Caitlin-Rose McMullan, was only 11 years old when she was killed near her home in Castledawson after getting off her school bus in March 2025. Speaking a year after her loss, Stella shared how deeply her life has been affected and emphasized the urgency for legislative progress. She said, “It is about time” there are improvements made, pressing that changes must happen “urgently” to prevent other families from enduring “unimaginable pain.” She described the grief that milestones like Mother’s Day and her daughter’s birthday bring, stating, “My daughter should have come home to me that day.”
Similarly, Caitlin Hogg was aged 13 when she died in an incident in County Fermanagh in December 2022. Her father, Bob, spoke about the profound impact her death had on their community in Kinawley and expressed cautious optimism regarding the consultation. He noted, “It’s about more than the legislation, it’s the awareness,” highlighting the need for public understanding of the risks faced by children near school buses
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