Posted on 02/19/2008 7:04:24 PM PST by Kimmers
COTTONWOOD, Minn. —
Authorities say four students have been killed in a school bus crash in southwestern Minnesota. Minnesota State Patrol Lieutenant Mark Peterson says the students died when their Lakeview School bus was hit by a van this afternoon on a highway near Cottonwood, about 2 hours southwest of Minneapolis. The bus then collided with a pickup and tipped on its side.
• Click here for photos.
The victims weren't immediately identified, and their ages weren't immediately given.
At least 14 people were hurt. The school bus was carrying 40 people at the time.
The Marshall Independent reported that the first motorists on the scene were asked to take some children to the hospital.
"I parked my car and called 911, and ran to the school bus and the driver was handing kids out the door as fast as I could take them," Karen Mahlum told the newspaper.
Other motorists also stopped and took kids from the driver. "You just wanted to make sure it was safe," she said. "They were screaming and screaming on the bus. There were so many kids."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
I lift them up to God in prayer... may they be comforted.
Prayer.
Seems kind of funny that they don’t have seat belts on school buses considering the high center of gravity and all.
Prayers for the victims, the children & their families.
Prayers on the way.......
I know there have been a lot of discussions and studies regarding seatbelts on buses and the following article may be of interest to you...
http://www.nea.org/esphome/issues/seatbelt.html
This was a horrible accident, and a terrifying experience for all the students.
I join you, Pandy, in prayer for the victims and famlies.
I have never understood that.
Get caught with a kid in YOUR car without restraints and, in many states, you will be hung from the highest limb on the nearest tree.
Same kid...on a skool bus...no restraints....NO PROBLEM!
As far as I know, in every state.
Full speed ahead and the captains's chair is empty.
Guess it must be time for seat belts in buses and more bus control.
Some of the concerns that drivers express about seat belts are:
Students can and do use the heavy belt buckles as weapons, injuring other riders.
It is next to impossible to make sure that all students keep their belts properly fastened, so that they are not injured by the belts in an accident.
If a bus has to be evacuated in an emergency, such as a fire, panicked or disoriented students might be trapped by their belts.
When drivers balance these concerns against the many safety features already built into the design of school buses, they conclude that given the way buses are presently operated, they are safer without seat belts.
This was the first I had heard of it (shameless plug for FR, no?) but the Gov did good.
Shame on FOX for trying to make it anything else.
We need a new NEWS channel.
prayers sent
Prayers up!
Best thing, though, is to home-school.
^^^^^^^
prayers
some more prayers sent upwards....
The article mentions the bus drivers dilemna with so many students and having his back to the students. Seems as tho a monitor on the bus would solve this.
Altho, the school bus in the accident yesterday (kids ages 3 to 5) didn’t turn over, the bus did crash and none of the little ones were hurt. They all were sitting in car seats!
God bless the people in your comunity, Kimmers. This is such a tragedy.
Not a crack against Minnesota but I have never understood this.
Our prayer for those lost to this tragedy.
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