4 Killed In Indiana School Bus Crash

A school bus collided with two dump trucks in a horrific crash Friday in rural northern Indiana, killing the four children on board and injuring the bus driver, authorities said.

"The victims are everywhere," said Cass County Coroner Gene Powlen.

The bus driver, identified by school officials as Debbie Duvall, was flown to a Fort Wayne hospital, where her condition was not available Friday night. The two truck drivers were not injured.

"It saddens the Twin Lakes School community to report the death of four of our students involved in a school bus accident today," said a statement issued by Superintendent Thomas Fletcher of the Twin Lakes School Corp. in nearby Monticello.

The bus was carrying special-needs students, the Logansport Pharos-Tribune, but Fletcher would not confirm that. The students attended two elementary schools in Logansport, the superintendent said.

The crash occurred about 3 p.m. on U.S. 24 west of Logansport, about 70 miles north of Indianapolis, said 1st Sgt. Dave Bursten of the Indiana State Police.

Troopers from the Indiana State Police worked to reconstruct the accident, interviewing everyone involved in the wreck, reports CBS affiliate WISH-TV in Indianapolis. Other emergency responders worked with parents who arrived on the scene to identify the students.

A mo-ped driver slowed suddenly in front of a dump truck, which tried to stop but clipped the bus in the oncoming lane, said state police Sgt. Tony Slocum.

The small bus flipped onto its side and slid into the path of a second dump truck, which struck its roof. The bus then slid into a ditch and came to rest, its front end and roof crushed.

The accident is being investigated.

Slocum said he did not believe the children were wearing seat belts, although one child was in a buckled-down wheelchair. Children are not required to wear seat belts on school buses in Indiana.

"I'm not a crash reconstructionist, but when you get struck in the top portion of the bus by a dump truck, I don't believe seat belts would have made a difference," he said. "The impact was just too severe."

Pam Simons, who lives next door to Duvall, described her as a longtime bus driver and said news of the crash was overwhelming.

"It's a huge tragedy for this community," she said. "All I can say is she's a wonderful person, a tremendous neighbor, and we're all praying for her."

The collision comes just days after police said a tractor-trailer driver on his cell phone hit a school bus in Florida, killing a 13-year-old girl.

[lily1972]

Sounds like the dump truck was following to close.

[ghs4u]

If he did not tail gate, there would not have been deaths. A 3-second gap is recommended. I despise people who rush to get between me and another driver and then slows down just to get ahead of someone else on the road. With proper space a moped slowing down in front would not have caused an accident. Is it really worth rushing when you might cause your death or someone else''s? Don''t be so self focused. Be careful; stay alert on the road.

[justducky9]

I live in the county of this accident and know the road. There are many questions that need to be answered, but from what the local reports are saying, I am not sure that it is even important what kind of vehicle was in front of the dump truck. ANY vehicle that stops suddenly creates a hazard. I can only imagine the thoughts that dump truck driver will have to live with....What if?? Had he hit the stopped moped we are talking one fatality, but would other vehicles have started swerving to avoid that? There are only so many what ifs that we can ponder... The reality is that this is a terrible, terrible tragedy that will impact many people.
Finally, I cannot guarantee that this is fact on all of these student activity buses, but my school corporation owns two of them and they are fully equipped with seat belts for all of the passengers.As others have said, with this impact it would have made no difference... The outcome would have been the same.
We just all need to keep the families of these children and those others involved in our prayers.

[justducky9]

I live in the county of this accident and know the road. There are many questions that need to be answered, but from what the local reports are saying, I am not sure that it is even important what kind of vehicle was in front of the dump truck. ANY vehicle that stops suddenly creates a hazard. I can only imagine the thoughts that dump truck driver will have to live with....What if?? Had he hit the stopped moped we are talking one fatality, but would other vehicles have started swerving to avoid that? There are only so many what ifs that we can ponder... The reality is that this is a terrible, terrible tragedy that will impact many people.
Finally, I cannot guarantee that this is fact on all of these student activity buses, but my school corporation owns two of them and they are fully equipped with seat belts for all of the passengers.As others have said, with this impact it would have made no difference... The outcome would have been the same.
We just all need to keep the families of these children and those others involved in our prayers.

[sumbet]

If you read updated stories, the students WERE belted in to the seats. I thought that was the case on special needs busses.

The articles also stated that the moped slowed to pull into a driveway. I wonder how close the first dump truck was following. It sounds like it wouldn''t have mattered what vehicle it was. Although I don''t like mopeds on the roadways, the vehicle itself wasn''t the issue.

We need to pray of all the families involved.

[gramto8]

It is not the fact that seatbelts wouldn''''t have been of any use here. It is far past the time when we should have to ask that question every time a school bus is involved in an accident. We care about the safety of ourselves and the driver, but the kids have no value apparently. If you used retractable belts like cars have, I really don''''t see them being used as weapons. Have extra rules put on, like any use of them to harm another student equals an automatic suspension or dismissal. Isn''''t it time we award our kids the same consideration we do to every other ADULT? on the road.

Posted by clew37 at 05:05 AM : Sep 27, 2008

LOOK at that bus. The top of entire section where children would have been is crushed down to the level of the top of the seats. The children would have merely been strapped into position with no chance of moving. The type of wreck that happened here - seatbelts would have made no difference.

[clew37]

It is not the fact that seatbelts wouldn''t have been of any use here. It is far past the time when we should have to ask that question every time a school bus is involved in an accident. We care about the safety of ourselves and the driver, but the kids have no value apparently. If you used retractable belts like cars have, I really don''t see them being used as weapons. Have extra rules put on, like any use of them to harm another student equals an automatic suspension or dismissal. Isn''t it time we award our kids the same consideration we do to every other ADULT? on the road.

[shortestfuse]

study after study after study has been done ... and it''s always been determined that seatbelts would not have helped in the crashes that involved fatalities.
I have spent ten years driving a school bus; all the kids are going to do with seatbelts are use them to hit other students or break out the windows. total waste of money.

[txpatriot4us]

Another reason MoPeds and small Motor Scooters should not be allowed on Highways.
Prayers and Condolences to the babies killed and their families. I as well pray for quick recovery for the kids injured and for their bus driver.
I have a large extended family in Logansport and I pray none of their kids were involved.

[txpatriot4us]

Another reason MoPeds and small Motor Scooters should not be allowed on Highways.
Prayers and Condolences to the babies killed and their families. I as well pray for quick recovery for the kids injured and for their bus driver.
I have a large extended family in Logansport and I pray none of their kids were involved.