Students escape moments before school bus is engulfed in flames
December 7, 2016
On Monday, Dec. 5 an unexpected turn for the worst happened when smoke started to pour from under the hood of the 4:15 p.m. activities bus which was carrying 36 students from Rockwood’s Voluntary Inter-district Choice Corporation (VICC) home from Lafayette.
The bus is owned and operated by Durham, which provides transportation for students from St. Louis City to county schools.
“The bus broke down in the middle of Highway 44 and Lindbergh. People started screaming after they saw the smoke rising in front of the bus. The bus driver came down first and opened the back doors to let us all out,” sophomore Georgia Williams said, “Everyone was pushing and shoving to get out of the bus. I sat near the front door, and as I got pushed out of the bus, I ran to the back to help people getting off.”
Terry Harris, Rockwood School District Executive Director of Student Services, spoke to St. Louis Post Dispatch, praising the bus driver for his “quick thinking” and “following his training to a T.”
Fire crews arrived about three minutes after the initial call came in and the bus was already engulfed in flames. All students were able to get off of the bus, however, two were taken to the hospital for precautionary measures. The two students were treated for minor injuries.
Many students lost some of their belongings, including their backpacks and school work. Lafayette’s Lawrence Strawbridge Foundation contacted Principal John Shaughnessy, hoping to find a way top support the kids who were involved.
From this, the Strawbridge Foundation donated 15 backpacks, filled with school supplies to aid the students who lost theirs in the fire.
The Lafayette administration decided the school itself will fund to replace winter coats for students that were lost in the bus fire.
Rockwood Superintendent Eric Knost said in an email to district parents, “This morning I requested a full accounting of the incident. We realize accidents do happen, but we need to know an in-depth investigation will be completed to determine why this occurred and how it may have been prevented. Bottom line, this degree of equipment failure is unacceptable.”
Durham is cooperating with the investigation.
