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Every day, school buses carry thousands of children. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirms they are among the safest vehicles on the road. This high safety record is the result of numerous advancements implemented over the years, particularly in response to various tragic incidents. These measures have significantly reduced accidents and saved countless lives. Here are 10 tragedies that led to key safety improvements in school buses.
10. Railroad Crossings
Utah is known for many things, but one lesser-known fact is that it was the site of one of the most devastating transportation accidents in history. On December 1, 1938, a severe snowstorm struck the Salt Lake Valley. Farrold Silcox, a school bus driver with three years of experience, was driving 39 students on his route. As he approached a railroad crossing on his way to Jordan High School in Sandy, he stopped, checked both directions, and proceeded across the tracks.
Halfway across the tracks, a freight train crashed into the bus, dragging it for half a mile (0.8 kilometers) before coming to a halt, resulting in the deaths of 24 passengers and the driver. The blizzard had obscured the driver’s vision, preventing him from seeing the train in time. Following this tragedy, regulations were put in place requiring all commercial vehicle drivers carrying passengers to stop, open the door and window, and listen for an oncoming train before crossing railroad tracks.
9. Manufacturing
School buses have come a long way since their introduction in the late 19th century. Each new version has improved on the safety of the previous one. One such improvement came after a tragic event. On May 21, 1976, Evan Prothero was driving a 1950 Crown school bus with 53 passengers on board. After an hour of travel, a buzzer sounded in the driver's compartment, prompting him to exit the highway.
As he attempted to exit, he found himself unable to slow down. The bus crashed into a guardrail and plunged off the ramp into a dirt field below. The impact caused the roof to collapse, killing 28 passengers and injuring several others. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that the design of the bus contributed to the fatalities. This tragedy led to new regulations requiring manufacturers to construct more durable buses that could better withstand rollovers and other types of damage.
8. Emergency Exits
The next incident led to a major change in school bus safety, despite the fact that the bus was not involved in a school-related trip. On the evening of May 14, 1988, a group of children and their chaperones were heading home after a visit to King’s Island. More than an hour into the journey, a pickup truck traveling northbound in the southbound lanes collided head-on with the bus. The collision ruptured the bus's fuel tank, igniting the gasoline and causing an immediate fire.
The children rushed to the back, the only emergency exit available. In total, 27 people lost their lives. Upon the authorities' arrival, it was revealed that the truck driver was intoxicated. He was convicted and sentenced to 16 years in prison. Following the incident, Kentucky and the nation introduced laws requiring more emergency exits on school buses, arguing that with better safety features, many lives could have been saved.
7. Brake Training
Similar to the previous incident, this school bus was not on a school-related trip, yet it was carrying several children at the time of the crash. On July 31, 1991, Richard A. Gonzalez Jr. was driving a 1989 Thomas school bus down a steep mountain road. The bus started to pick up speed, and he struggled to slow it down. As the bus continued to descend, he honked at the vehicle ahead, signaling something was wrong.
The bus then swerved into the opposite lane, overtaking the other vehicle. When it reached a sharp curve, Richard couldn't manage the turn. The bus skidded off the road at high speed, rolling down an embankment, killing seven people and injuring 53 others. The accident was attributed to the driver's failure to properly handle the vehicle on a steep incline. As a result, driver training was revamped to ensure better preparedness for navigating mountainous roads.
6. Child Check System
Certain accidents arise from neglecting established protocols, and this one led to one of the most heartbreaking tragedies involving school buses. On the morning of September 11, 2015, Armando Ramirez, a school bus driver for Public Transportation Cooperative in Whittier, California, began his route, picking up three students and dropping them off at school. After completing his route, he returned to the yard and went home as usual.
Several hours later, Paul Lee’s body was found inside the bus, lying in a pool of his own vomit. Armando had failed to notice that Paul had not exited the bus that morning. Upon arriving at the yard, Armando neglected to check the bus, which was against the protocols. His oversight was determined to be the cause of the student's death. In response to this tragedy, a law was passed in California requiring all school buses to be equipped with a child check system, ensuring drivers are forced to verify that no child remains on board.
5. Training for Hijacking
The following incident, while traumatic for all involved, led to significant changes in how such situations are handled. On July 15, 1976, 55-year-old Ed Ray, a school bus driver, picked up his students. As he drove, he encountered a van blocking the road with a man standing next to it. Ed slowed down, stopping as the man approached, armed. The man took control of the bus and drove it a mile down the road, where he met up with two accomplices who helped him hide the bus and take all 26 children and the driver hostage.
The kidnappers then drove for 11 hours in two modified cargo vans, eventually reaching a rock quarry in Livermore, California, located 100 miles (161 kilometers) away. Once there, they transferred the hostages into a moving van that was buried in the quarry. Thankfully, the bus driver and an older boy managed to escape from the collapsing van and sought help.
The men were apprehended and arrested shortly after the incident. Nowadays, many school districts and transportation companies provide hijacking response training for their drivers. Additionally, many buses are now equipped with GPS systems and video cameras, which have proven to be invaluable tools in such situations.
4. Emergency Response Teams
Sometimes, it’s not the direct impact of an accident that causes fatalities, but the consequences that follow. This was tragically true in the next case. On February 28, 1958, John Alex DeRossett, a 27-year-old bus driver, was transporting students to school in Prestonsburg, Kentucky. As he traveled down U.S. Route 23, he encountered a tow truck trying to pull a pickup from a ditch. The bus clipped the tow truck and veered sharply left, plunging down an embankment and into the Big Sandy River.
Twenty-two students managed to escape through the rear emergency exit as the bus sank. Unfortunately, the remaining 26 students and the driver were dragged down the river and disappeared. The National Guard was deployed on March 5, 1958, and a search operation continued for several days. The slow pace of the operation sparked criticism. In response, a disaster response team was established for the county, which was the first of its kind and inspired similar teams to form across the nation.
3. Responsibility of Operator
Many school bus accidents can be traced back to mechanical failures or driver errors. However, some incidents occur purely due to bad luck. Royal J. Randle, a 24-year-old World War II veteran, worked for the Lake Chelan School District. On November 26, 1945, he followed his usual route, picking up students on the west side of Lake Chelan. As Royal navigated the lakeside roads, snow began to fall. With very little accumulation on the pavement, he chose not to put on snow chains.
The snow quickly built up on the bus's windshield, causing the wipers to fail. As the accumulation worsened, Royal struggled with visibility and decided to pull off the road to clear the windshield. Unfortunately, while pulling over, the bus struck a rock, sending it careening into a 30-foot (9-meter) embankment. The bus rolled twice, eventually coming to a stop with its front end submerged 5 feet (1.5 meters) underwater.
Five students and one adult managed to escape before the weight shift caused the bus to sink headfirst into the lake. Divers recovered seven bodies, including the bus driver's, within six days. The search was halted soon after, leaving nine children unaccounted for in the depths of the lake.
The Washington State Patrol conducted an investigation, concluding that poor visibility led to the crash and caused the bus to veer off the road and into the embankment. They further stated that the school district should have ceased operations during the hazardous weather. Nowadays, both bus drivers and school districts are held accountable for assessing when conditions are too dangerous to transport students.
2. Fire Suppression System
With all the advancements in school bus technology today, it’s easy to assume that they’re as safe as they can get. However, the tragic story of Megan Klindt proves otherwise. Megan, a 16-year-old student at Riverside Community High School, was waiting for her bus on December 12, 2017. When she boarded, the bus driver, 74-year-old Donald Hendricks, attempted to turn the bus around on a narrow street. Unfortunately, he backed up too far, causing the rear of the bus to fall into a ditch. Despite his efforts to free the bus by accelerating, it remained stuck.
Soon after, the bus caught fire. Megan's family saw the flames and immediately called 911. Tragically, both Megan and Hendricks perished in the blaze. An investigation by the NTSB revealed that the bus driver was not able to safely maneuver the bus while backing up. The fire was caused by the ignition of fuel from the engine’s turbocharger after it overheated. Following the incident, a recommendation was made for all school buses to be equipped with fire suppression systems.
1. School Bus Yellow and Two-Way Radios
School buses faced significant challenges in the early days, particularly when weather conditions were severe. One such incident in March 1931 left a community devastated. Carl Miller set out to transport his students to school on what initially seemed like a perfect morning. However, by the time he reached the school, a blizzard hit. Carl, along with the two teachers present, decided it was best to send the students home. As Carl made his way back, he mistakenly took a wrong turn.
The bus soon became stuck in a ditch, and the engine stalled, leaving Carl and his 22 passengers stranded. Carl left the two older children in charge and walked off in search of help. That afternoon, two men found the bus and rescued the children. Sadly, the tragedy resulted in the deaths of six people, including Carl. This event led to the decision to adopt a standardized, highly visible color for school buses, now known as school bus yellow. Additionally, two-way radios were installed in all school transportation vehicles.
