Ann's Blog On School Bus Crash

Ann's second quarter blog #6:

"Bus hits students then wall; at least 17 hospitalized" (cnn.com, January 15, 2007)

Some sort of mechanical problem left a school bus out of control in Fairless hills, Pennsylvania. After attempts by the bus driver to regain control of the bus it covered almost 1/2 of a mile. On its way, it ran over a curb, drove over a sidewalk, broke through a fence and crashed to a stop at a retaining wall. This all happened over crowded school grounds, thus many people who weren't even riding the bus were hospitalized. In all, fourteen who were on foot and three that were riding the bus were rushed to the hospital. In an effort to dodge the bus, one boy jumped under the bus where he lay on his back while he watched the bottom of the bus drive over him. There is one seventeen year old girl who is in critical condition and is going to get transferred to the Philadelphia hospital. While the bus was driving out of control, a security guard drove along side it to try and clear the way for the bus.

Vehicles scare me. There are so many things that can go wrong with them. Recently I had a leak in one of the tires on my car and the whole time until I could get it fixed I was paranoid. While driving, I would have these visions of blowing a tire and my car going out of control and running into oncoming traffic or trees or telephone poles. Ever since then I will have these visions of me getting into some sort of accident and I get really scared and start driving really slow. It is so weird to think about all the others that can be in an accident that aren't even riding in a vehicle. Like all the people who were just walking outside of their school. How scary would that be, all of a sudden a big yellow bus is charging toward you? Its weird to try and put myself in that situation. I can't believe that my impulse action would be to throw myself underneath the bus like the one boy. But when I hear about the seventeen year old who has to get transferred to Philadelphia I get really sad. I always do when I hear about people having to get transferred. That is one of my biggest fears. So many people have died in the helicopter ride to a different hospital. My heart goes out to her family. I, from experience, know exactly what that's like and the stresses that go along with it. The people involved in this accident will be in my prayers tonight.

article from:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/12/bus.crash.ap/index.html
picture from:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/12/bus.crash.ap/index.html