Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Authorities: 1 dead in school bus crash
CITRA, Fla. (AP) -- At least one student died and eight people were injured Tuesday after a tractor-trailer rear-ended a school bus in an accident in north Florida, authorities said.
About 20 people were aboard the bus, and authorities believe all the students have been accounted for, Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Pat Riordan said. Both vehicles caught on fire after the accident, which occurred on U.S. Highway 301 near 155th Street in Marion County. The name and age of the student has not been released.
Six students and both drivers were taken to area hospitals with non-life threatening injuries, Marion County Fire Rescue spokeswoman Heather Danenhower said. The bus was transporting students from North Marion Middle School and North Marion High School.
The cab of the tractor-trailer completely burned, while the back of the bus had flame damage.
Marion County Superintendent of Schools Jim Yancey told the Ocala Star-Banner that at least four bystanders entered the burning bus, rescuing the children from the flames.
"I'd say they probably got half the kids off the bus themselves," Yancey said. "They were showing more grief and remorse from not being able to do more."
Lauren Scott, who was at her mother's farm nearby, said she and several visitors heard what she first thought were gunshots, only they were too powerful.
"We were looking at each other like 'What the heck was that?"' she told the newspaper. "We walked over behind the house and saw this smoke, very black smoke."
Earlier this month, a chain-reaction crash southeast of Tallahassee involving a school bus, minivan and cement mixer truck killed an 8-year-old girl and injured seven other children and the van driver.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
