Small detail, but the school in question is "Northwest Elementary School," not "North Georgia Elementary School." Source: 98-08 was my bus. I was not on board, but could hear the accident from my home on Tennga Gregory Rd. Amber was a very close friend, and this was devastating. Rhonda is a monster, and this day will haunt me forever. This was definitely not the only reckless thing she did, and the kids on this bus absolutely hated her. Thank you for covering this story, and helping to keep the memory of my friends alive.
Driver: "The train came out of nowhere! It was like it came out of the sky!" Interviewer: "So a giant bright blue locomotive came out of nowhere, while blowing it's horn, and apparently it fell down from the sky onto the tracks?" Driver: *refused any more interviews*
It’s so weird how this and the accident in Illinois were both female drivers.... there aren’t many female bus drivers to begin with. Not saying female drivers suck but...
This is probably why all school buses have their music radios disabled where I work. Also that woman was _way_ too arrogant! The classes are refresher courses because there are a lot of laws related to driving a school bus and you're likely to forget some. She apparently forgot the radio should be off and to STOP.
I don't think its that necessary to disable the MUSIC RADIO. I think they need to worry about the food radio, and the newspaper radio. Love how you specified music radio. I was able to use my lettered keyboard to send this to your picture viewing screen, through the information internet..
I’ve rode the school bus all my life never have I heard anyone play the radio unless it’s on a trip to an away game or etc. I’ve also have almost gotten killed on a railroad crossing in my town. Like feet from my death at the back of the bus but In that situation the levelers went down after they had stopped and looked and were half way over the track and got close to getting hit but my driver acted fast and thankfully it hasn’t happened since. And my county does enforce stopping and silence at stops in the last few years I’ve noticed but had always enforced stopping
And she got 90 days in jail?! Talk abt a slap on the wrist for murder? Because in my opinion thatz what it was, when she knew she was supposed to STOP✋, when that train was coming. I truly hope she is no longer behind the wheel of a bus anymore!
When I started driving my mom asked me why did I stop at every crossing? It’s like she forgot she had a child with a locomotive engineer for some reason.
It's honestly one of the worst nightmares of any crew. Seeing a school bus stopped on the tracks loaded with children and there's no way you can stop in time.
I am a professional truck driver with almost 2 years of OTR experience. It is a complete tragedy when innocent little children with long lives ahead of them have those lives shattered due to someone else's negligence. The penalty the driver received was pathetic! Even though I do not have a P or an S endorsement on my CDL, it is not rocket science. I actually think all commercial motor vehicles should be required to stop at railroad crossings. Training also needs to be done with the utmost amount of technicality and force necessary to make sure CDL drivers can and will operate a commercial vehicle safely and sensibly. One thing that came as a shock to me in watching this, no one accept the Thunderbolt mentioned that the uninjured child was wearing a seatbelt! Maybe if all the children were buckled up, perhaps injuries and deaths would of been lesser. I think all students should wear safety belts when riding the school busses. So, perhaps the driver is not 100% at fault, but if she followed proper protocol, an accident surely would not have happened.
Finally someone gets it. With my videos not only do I look for every detail I can find, but I dont point out the "root cause" but I list every factor to the accident. Disasters are always a chain of critical events. Also most large school buses and every public transport bus I've rode has no seat belts but some older ones I rode and the small buses all had seatbelts. I definetly agree with the seat belt idea in all buses and for all vehicles stopping at crossings, its a little bit excessive but I still do it even on lines that see 1 train a day (not just because I'm a railfan) finally that driver should of been charged to several years in prision as thats usually what those charged with involuntary manslaughter get, even back then.
Fully agree with you Dennis B as a professional driver the responsibility for the vehicle and passengers/cargo is the driver's. Companies who bend the rules are just as bad as negligent driver's. I was both a commercial driver and a former military driver, The military rules were simple if we came to an uncontrolled crossing we stopped and checked before crossing the tracks, it didn't matter if we had people, gear or were empty we stopped. It's sad that in this case kid's had to pay for the driver's blatant disregard of any safety rules.
I mean, one speeding ticket almost 10 years before shouldn’t necessarily be disqualifying, but her behavior in class absolutely should have put up some flags.
Alex Perrine one speeding ticket doesn’t make you a criminal. It’s a single summary offense, and if you were disqualified from a driving job for one speeding ticket there would be a lack of drivers across the country. Granted this individual was a horrible and irresponsible driver but a singular speeding ticket is not an indication of that. Nearly everyone who’s been driving for more than a few years has had one ticket
I remember that well. Driver’s attorney asked for diversion. Prosecutor objected and judge denied the request. Judge applied the maximum sentence of 90 days, telling the driver that if the law had permitted, he’d have sent her to prison for years.
Been there several times. when I worked for Conrail we had a lot of rural crossing but most of my encounters were snowmobiles and ATVs abandoned on the tracks. I did work part time for a short line and it seemed like school busses were an every day problem but luckily we had bad track and speed was reduced but as upgrades took place and speed went up things got more nerve racking. My last run on the mainline was a near miss with a propane truck. I stepped down and took a yard job switch out cars till I got laid off.
One of my biggest pet peeves is when people know that doing something can kill them, yet they do it anyway. Not stopping at railroad crossings or trying to beat a train both fall into that category for me.
Come to Africa, we don't have any of those fancy warning systems at level crossings, so you stop and look at every single crossing, and in rural areas you do get them a lot...
You are smart, these cases are stupid. As a railfan I know exactly what a train will do to anything and I do mean anything hits it, it is like putting foil in a blender only it's not just metal. You also gotta take it in to mind, you are not the only one who is affected by this. No I'm not just talking about the kids or passengers of the car, that isn't the only way people loose their lives to rails some just jump in front of them. The driver and even the crew may feel extremely intense guilt for loss caused under their watch, so if you want to do something stupid because you think no one will miss you jumping in front of a train ensures you will be.
Had a bit of tears in my eyes, and painful anger in my chest! I cannot believe she only got 90 days for what she did! Those children will never grow up, they will never see their families again because of her.
I still cry seeing pictures and hearing about it.. I went to the school and was in 5th grade when i happened and 98-08 came by the lunchroom to drop the kids off every morning while i atr breakfast then that day the sky looked so differmt i cant describ it and that bus never showed that morning
When I was in 1st grade, we went on a field trip to a nature center and there is only one thing I remember about the field trip. On the way back to school, we went over a railroad crossing and as soon as we did, the gates went down. I specifically recall looking up and seeing the gate barely miss hitting the bus roof, and looking out the window... and seeing the headlight of a BNSF train. Fortunately, we didn’t get hit, but to this day I still take railroad safety very seriously from that incident. The poor kids in this could have been me, RIP.
The family of Daniel Pack was my neighbor at the time of this accident. The devastation and heart break this woman caused this family and other families is beyond words. Their lives were forever changed. 90 days... Sad that those children's lives were only worth 90 days in jail!!
America's justice system has gotten worse overtime and nowadays is a joke. Petty crimes like drug possession lands you in for life, this incident gives you 90 days, and pedophiles get the equivalent of a slap on the wrist like that animal John Kricfalusi. I feel absolutely horrible for that family and all the others involved in this incident. You have my prayers.
@@Thunderbolt_1000_Siren you are very right!! What is sad is this drugs and anything to do with them is a man made law...taking another life is a GOD made law. Since when should a man made law trump a GOD made law?? Every thing is back wards. GOD and his laws are suppose to Trump all!! But it doesn't.
@@Thunderbolt_1000_Siren how is 90 Days enough Jail time?! The Driver Broke the Federal Law, Drove recklessly and left 3 Kids dead?! That should’ve lead to more Years in Jail
@@stephanroller3209 Exactly right. And they should have two options. Either just stop, turn off the radio and AC/heater unit, open his/her window and the front door so they can hear the train's horn better, close the door and window, then go if the train hasn't come yet. Or report to their boss they might be late and would be forced to wait for the train to pass if they don't reach the crossing before the gates lower.
@@stephanroller3209 the one thing I do know, is the only time they don't have to stop is if there is an exempt sign on the cross buck, but dont quote me on it
@@stephanroller3209 not always, if there is a sign that says "Exempt" under the crossbuck. That means that the railroad crossing is abandoned to the point where the federal law doesn't apply to that crossing. As is it with 100% certainty that a train will not go through that crossing.
She was definitely in protective custody too cause women inmates dont play that shit. People then men inmates are bad but it will never compare to when women with kids hear you caused kids to die
@@madtrucker0983 They pretend to know all the rules as well as the ones they pulled out their ass but pretend they are above them, thinking they’re special.
14:59 Minor correction here: she was actually sentenced to 4 years in jail, but could have gotten out as quickly as 90 days for "good behavior". Frankly, I think you shouldn't have a "good behavior" clause when you break federal laws that result in the deaths of 3 children...disgraceful situation.
Reminds me of when I was in kindergarten in rural West Virginia, my bus crossed the tracks, stopped, open the door and window, then went. Talking or making noise during that time was the absolute most trouble you could get into in elementary school. This was the early 80's and you would get the paddle for sure as well as suspended from the bus. Even my older cousin, who was no stranger to getting into trouble wouldn't break this rule.
@@josephdurnal ☺️ Im familiar with Elkins & Clarksburg but I hadn’t heard of Junior before today. My school bus experience was a lot like yours. I had the same bus driver from elementary school throughout high school(the 80’s-90’s) He was a very nice man. He stopped the bus, opened the door and window, looked and would check again before going. We weren’t allowed to talk or be noisy during this time and us kids knew better than to make a peep. The few who ever tested his rule, got to know the principal’s wooden paddle personally.
I feel bad for the train driver, he had to live with the fact that this happened. He couldn’t have done anything to stop it, but he’ll still probably feel as if he could’ve done something. It’s so sad how so many innocent lives can be lost to people who are so arrogant and don’t take what they’re doing seriously.
Yes but what’s werid is that people blame the company or railroad for these crashes thinking trains are terrible and shouldn’t exist Which is unfortunate considering many people don’t ride trains much anymore because they prefer their shitty cars and stupid planes because they kill less the think about trains as terrible inventions that kill people when trains were made to help the country it’s so sad that trains often get the blame not the people that crashed into the train in the first place
I get my love of trains from my great-grandfather who was a conductor. Even to this day, they still fascinate me and I still wave at the engineers when I do see one! However, I still know that these marvels are extremely dangerous. It baffles me how people want to blame a train that can only function on tracks than cars that have free movement. I wish people would think safely when crossing tracks and use caution. I do not cross many RR tracks where I live now but I always treat them as if they are active when I do. Even though many rails where I live are currently not active compare to my small Southern Illinois town that has all tracks in use.
Ashley Nichole Petrea I like them as well. Trains and trucks all deserve respect especially in these days when they’re so busy. They can’t go home or stay home. They’re the most essential of all workers!
@@canamx399, thank you for your comment! I am always glad to see others who love trains as well; also considering the type of channel we have clicked on!
When I was I was a kid, we lived in my great grandfather's house which was down the street from, what was a part of a mainline for EP and S, connecting TX and CA when my grandmother was a girl. Well, by the time I showed up on this rock, it was reduced to a rarely used siding and the tracks didn't even leave the city. But as a kid, once in a blue moon, while I waited for the bus, I'd hear the boom of cars being coupled! My dad has been driving a truck, for nearly three decades, and when I was in my late teens, I got to go with him OTR. Many places, even though the outfit my dad drove for, permitted me to go with him after I signed a waiver, would only allow non-employees who RR men or Truck drivers in the yard, so I had to stay in the truck. Some times I could get out. Whether or not I could be up close and personal, it is still very neat to me, to be around tractor/trailers and Locomotives/trains. And while looking out of windows of steel or rubber wheeled beasts is not my thing, I do listen when the men and women who operate trucks and trains tell the stories.
I always get super nervous about a Car/truck/bus getting hit at the crossing by my house. If one of the trains ever came off the track it would literally be in my yard and destroy my shop
I heard that Dies Irae after 5:00 and knew I’m nothing good was coming. Nice audio cues overall, it really adds to the impact. An absolute tragedy, I hope it’s never repeated and that we learn from our mistakes.
Here are some recommendations for other train disasters, •The St Paul Minnesota yard crash 1996 •The New York city subway derailment 1991 And the TTC train collision 1995
@@memyye Yeah, and I requested the St. Paul wreck, too. If we do get a video of the St. Paul train wreck by next year, it might be on here by Sunday, February 14, 2021, the 25th anniversary of that disaster.
I will have to say that despite this being an amateur vid, your animations are pretty good. I hope one day you'll find a career in the animation industry.
If a crossing is abandoned an application to mark it exempt can be made. At that point a sign will be posted marking the crossing exempt for school buses and hazmat transporting motor carriers. Even if a rail crossing hasn’t been used by the railroad in fifty years, it’s only exempt if marked.
I absolutely love your videos, Thunder! If you don't mind me saying this, do you think you could do a video of the 1996 St. Paul train wreck? If not, don't worry, I understand.
My rescue ambulance squad responded to the Congers NY accident. in 72.They were Nyack High School kids,I knew many of the families, graduated with their older siblings in 68. Was sick for 2/3 days after. Showed up at work later that day,in my suit with oil,grease,and blood splatter covering me.Boss drove me home.Shook for that whole night.
I'm proud to be a Thunderbolt Patron. I encourage all railfans to join and help fund Thunderbolt in creating these historical and well-designed documentaries.
I remember being in school and riding the bus to various activities, usually with a coach driving and they would hit the overhead lights when coming up on crossings. Get a lot of angry honks at times but the coaches didn’t care. They’re the ones that taught me to stop at crossings in my personal vehicle, especially ones with no lights and or crossing arms. We have a lot of those where I live, I’ve pissed off many people doing it. But it’s better safe than sorry
The law was probably written towards punishing an auto driver and nobody ever envisioned a bus being involved . Many laws or codes are written for the average and nobody can predict the exceptional event.
Hey Thunder Im From The Netherlands, Can you Making Harmelen Railway Disaster 1962, The Greatest Railway Disaster in the History of the Netherlands Do later that in the Future. Wikipedia: Harmelen Railway Disaster
Sub bus drivers can be scary. I once had one that would go full speed to a red light than slam her breaks last second and she ran a red light lucky some of the students complained to our normal bus driver and we never seen that sub again.
I would like to say, I feel your videos are always well put together, and providing a great source of information. It shows the amount of time you put in to your research. Keep up the great work! By the way have you ever looked in to the 1946 Naperville, IL train crash?
5:51 Brutal! Just brutal. That bus driver should've known better than to perform such a dangerous, inexcusable stunt like that. I saw both the 1972 Congers NY and 1995 Fox River Grove bus-train crashes, and the '72 wreck is why it's the law for all buses to stop at railroad crossings, quiet passengers, open the doors, look, and listen before being allowed to continue over the crossing.
I especially thought the bus driver should've been more careful considering that her own daughter was onboard the bus, but when not even that is enough to make someone act sensible, I don't know what else could've worked.
I'm impatiently awaiting new vid! I'm hoping ur staying safe while in quarantine too. Also, with this extra time on ur hands more vids are to come? One can hope 😉
Theres a lake i stay out at for extended periods sometimes. A single-track section of the railroad runs right next to the lake. There's a crossing just as you enter the road that runs the perimeter of the lake- no lights or anything just one regular octagon stop sign. It's way out in the country so no one thinks trains pass but multiple trains go by every night between midnight and 3am and one goes past every day around 3:30 pm. Two cars have been totaled there (thankfully no deaths) and i can't understand why you wouldn't just stop.
I think it bothers me the most that saw lied afterwards. Everyone has errors in judgement, & many times those errors have horrific consequences, but lying about it afterwards is unforgivable!
The fact that the only kid able to walk away from this crash was the one wearing a seatbelt, and people are still adamant that buses don't need seatbelts and that kids shouldn't be required to wear them on buses is unbelievable to me.
I lived in Tennga. The accident actually happened in Tennessee just north of the state line. Kids in that area go to Murray (pronounced Murree) county schools. I worked at the St. Claire's gas station just a couple of miles south of the accident site. I used to watch the trains all the time at work but I was not working there then. It was a very sad situation and many didn't talk about it much out of respect for the families. Hard to believe it's been 20 years. Still sad.
I work as en engineer on a fairly small GP16 and GP9, but even in these I still see over the tops of trucks and buses. Most people have this knowledge that trains are, well, massive and to know this and not care while carrying all those children, including her daughter, baffles me.
In the paper, back then, she said she had to cross the tracks and into another other state to turn around. Since the turnaround was next to the tracks, and she still had her flashing 'stop' bus lights on and had previously stopped, she didn't think she was required to stop again, when she proceeded back across the tracks. Good to know that state finally installed a turnaround, before the tracks, @15:50.
I use to run this bus route for the summer school students ( about 5 years before this incident) and I crossed this train crossing every day and I will tell you this, when I ran this route, the brush was grown up so bad around the track it was difficult to see very far in either direction. I would stop, open all my windows and doors and make everyone be quiet before I would pass. It was a bad crossing. I'm NOT releasing her from responsibility. I'm saying you have to be diligent and careful in places like that. You can't take driving a bus lightly and get complacent. It's scary out there. I pray I never have to go back to driving a bus for more reasons than one. This lady definitely needed to spend more time in jail.. like years. This accident affected me deeply. I'm sure it's because I drove a bus for Murray (pronounced Murr-ee not Murr-ray) county and had driven this very route. I was depressed for months after. Thank you for this video. I didn't realize there was anything about it.
It was bad enough before the accident all you had were just cross bucks. But even with gates, lights, and bells its very likely people like the driver in this accident will still ignore them because people are usually stupid. Even though I'm not a school bus driver I always treat RR crossings as stop signs not just because I'm a railfan but just to make sure its safe to proceed. Thank you for sharing this. It still sickens me how the driver's punishment was a mere slap on the wrist when she should of looked at several years for manslaughter.
Where I live, my school buses have the radio playing every time and don't cross train crossings. We barely have ANY train crossings and the train tracks are usually out of bounds from roads like the freeway or road.
Not only is this a lesson in being aware around railroad crossings, it’s also a lesson on wearing seatbelts. The only kid to walk away from the crash was wearing a seatbelt.
@@canamx399 hey I've just realized i left this comment Graville was a accident in which The train involved in the disaster consisted of eight passenger carriages hauled by 46 class electric locomotive 4620, and had commenced its journey towards Sydney from Mount Victoria in the Blue Mountains at 6:09 a.m. At approximately 8:10 a.m. it was approaching Granville railway station when the locomotive derailed and struck one of the steel-and-concrete pillars supporting the bridge carrying Bold Street over the railway cutting. The derailed engine and first two carriages passed the bridge. The first carriage, which broke free from the other carriages, was torn open when it collided with a severed mast beside the track, killing eight passengers. The remaining carriages came to a halt with the second carriage clear of the bridge. The rear half of the third carriage, and forward half of the fourth carriage, came to rest under the weakened bridge, whose weight was estimated at 570 tonnes 560 long tons; 630 short tons. Within seconds, with all its supports demolished, the bridge and several motor cars on top of it collapsed on top of the carriages, crushing them and the passengers inside.[5] Memorial plaque commemorating the disaster at Granville station Of the total number of passengers travelling in the third and fourth carriages, half were killed instantly when the bridge fell on them, crushing them in their seats. Several injured passengers were trapped in the train for hours after the accident, with part of the bridge crushing a limb or torso. Some had been conscious and lucid, talking to rescuers, but died of crush syndrome soon after the weight was removed from their bodies. This resulted in changes to rescue procedures for these kinds of accidents.[citation needed] Rescuers also faced greater difficulties as the weight of the bridge was still crushing the affected carriages, reducing the space in which they had to work to get survivors out, until it was declared that no one was allowed to attempt further entry until the bridge had been lifted. Soon after, the bridge settled a further 5 centimeters onto the train, trapping two rescuers and crushing a portable generator "like butter". Another danger came from gas LPG cylinders were kept year-round on board the train to be used in winter for heating. Several people were overcome by gas leaking from ruptured cylinders. The leaking gas also prevented the immediate use of powered rescue tools. The NSW Fire Brigade provided ventilation equipment to dispel the gas and a constant film of water was sprayed over the accident site to prevent the possibility of the gas igniting. The train driver, the assistant crewman, the "second man", and the motorists including one motorcyclist driving on the fallen bridge all survived. The operation lasted from 8:12 a.m. Tuesday until 6:00 a.m. Thursday. Ultimately, 84 people were killed in the accident, including an unborn child.
My freshman year of highschool my bus driver was literally crazy. Like, she'd floor it going down hills and taking tight turns. But, she ALWAYS stopped at railroads and would genuinely listen for trains, I remember my friends getting yelled at by her for talking.
One time in 1992 in my hometown the daycare van stalled on a railroad crossing and a train of loaded coal hoppers was coming. A construction worker driving a backhoe pushed the van off the tracks. The backhoe also made it off the tracks one minute before the train raced by.
Loss of life is always upsetting but the loss of innocent children that had their whole lives ahead of them, absolutely tragic. Rest in peace little ones 😢
Most newer school buses in the southern US have ac because the summers are usually in the mid 90s and extremely humid. This heat also occurs for several months of the school year.
I'm a truck driver. I was in Bessemer AL. Hauling a hazmat load. When hauling hazmat you are required to come to a complete stop like school busses. I came to an unguarded crossing. I didn't see or hear a train coming and was about to roll across. Then I thought you about the law and came to a complete stop to look and listen with my hazard lights on. It saved my ass as a train came barreling though across a three or four track crossing. Follow the law folks. Funny thing is knowing better than that with all my 23 years of experience I have to admit. Had I not been hauling hazmat I would have been hit that day.
People like that driver are the kinds of people that need to be grabbed by the shirt dollar and forcibly toured thru the wreck and forced to witness the aftermath of there actions while being asked *"WAS IT WORTH IT!?"* and *"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?"*
My great uncle was killed in a train accident he survived Monte casino in ww2 to comeback and be killed in 1946 in Buffalo in a train accident I'm glad you do these
At the time I lived in Chattanooga which was the closest major city. I remember when this happened I was in 8th grade. My parents were taking me to school and the traffic report came on. The man doing traffic was in a helicopter and had flown out to the scene. This was the second School bus-train collision in the Chattanooga area. There was one back in 1955 in Spring City TN. Following the 1955 accident Tennessee became the first state to pass a law requiring all school buses to stop at railroad crossings. If any school-bus driver does not stop at a railroad crossing it is not treated as a traffic offense like most other traffic violations (speeding, running a red light, etc) instead it is treated as a criminal offense.
Small detail, but the school in question is "Northwest Elementary School," not "North Georgia Elementary School."
Source: 98-08 was my bus. I was not on board, but could hear the accident from my home on Tennga Gregory Rd. Amber was a very close friend, and this was devastating.
Rhonda is a monster, and this day will haunt me forever. This was definitely not the only reckless thing she did, and the kids on this bus absolutely hated her.
Thank you for covering this story, and helping to keep the memory of my friends alive.
Thats just sad.
noone cares
@@jiogcyihsugyiocjfdoivhphvw6821 you cared enough to leave a comment… But cool, thanks.
Shayna White I’m so sorry to hear that and wish you all the best in whatever it is that you do
@@jiogcyihsugyiocjfdoivhphvw6821 no one asked for your opinion
Driver: "The train came out of nowhere! It was like it came out of the sky!"
Interviewer: "So a giant bright blue locomotive came out of nowhere, while blowing it's horn, and apparently it fell down from the sky onto the tracks?"
Driver: *refused any more interviews*
Best UA-cam comment ever, I. Going to hell for laughing
Basically how most conversations with conservatives go nowadays. Nothing new, nothing old.
@@youtubeSuckssNow don’t bring politics into this please!
It’s so weird how this and the accident in Illinois were both female drivers.... there aren’t many female bus drivers to begin with. Not saying female drivers suck but...
@@blacklight310 that is a horribly sexist generalization there bud.
Most of the bus drivers down here women. You have some issues.
This is probably why all school buses have their music radios disabled where I work.
Also that woman was _way_ too arrogant! The classes are refresher courses because there are a lot of laws related to driving a school bus and you're likely to forget some. She apparently forgot the radio should be off and to STOP.
Cani just say I enjoy your vids
I don't think its that necessary to disable the MUSIC RADIO. I think they need to worry about the food radio, and the newspaper radio.
Love how you specified music radio. I was able to use my lettered keyboard to send this to your picture viewing screen, through the information internet..
@@xz3693 I meant as opposed to the radio used to communicate to other drivers and dispatch.
I’ve rode the school bus all my life never have I heard anyone play the radio unless it’s on a trip to an away game or etc. I’ve also have almost gotten killed on a railroad crossing in my town. Like feet from my death at the back of the bus but In that situation the levelers went down after they had stopped and looked and were half way over the track and got close to getting hit but my driver acted fast and thankfully it hasn’t happened since. And my county does enforce stopping and silence at stops in the last few years I’ve noticed but had always enforced stopping
And she got 90 days in jail?! Talk abt a slap on the wrist for murder? Because in my opinion thatz what it was, when she knew she was supposed to STOP✋, when that train was coming. I truly hope she is no longer behind the wheel of a bus anymore!
When I started driving my mom asked me why did I stop at every crossing? It’s like she forgot she had a child with a locomotive engineer for some reason.
You are right. When you progressively slow down, then stop, the driver who is following too closely, will be fore warned.
Guess she lived in bosnia since there are barely any trains
@@reddeadfan2040 nah just like I said the irony is she seem to have forgot she had a son with a locomotive engineer 😂😂😂
@@redrock717 to be fair I’ve never seen anyone stop before tracks unless there’s a sign or something besides bus’s
That didn't make sense on any level.
That poor train driver he has to live with that for the rest of his life
Honestly it's one of the worst nightmares of a train crew.
You know that even though he put on the brake and did everything that he could he probably caries some self blame.
A train crew can't blame them selves there's nothing they can do.
@@andrewyork3869 I know they did all they could do but I'm sure it still haunts them
The train driver might have been haunted by the dead children. Who knows?
I could imagine the engineer and the conductor crying because they were so traumatized by the kids that were killed.
oh, i pretty much cried my eyes when i heard kids died in the crash
I mean I bet they knew it wasn't their fault cuz they did try they did try to stop but you know hundreds of tons of metal doesn't really stop quickly
Really it wasn’t there fault but yeah I think they probably cried
@@tacoking3555 Yeah
It's honestly one of the worst nightmares of any crew. Seeing a school bus stopped on the tracks loaded with children and there's no way you can stop in time.
I am a professional truck driver with almost 2 years of OTR experience. It is a complete tragedy when innocent little children with long lives ahead of them have those lives shattered due to someone else's negligence.
The penalty the driver received was pathetic! Even though I do not have a P or an S endorsement on my CDL, it is not rocket science. I actually think all commercial motor vehicles should be required to stop at railroad crossings.
Training also needs to be done with the utmost amount of technicality and force necessary to make sure CDL drivers can and will operate a commercial vehicle safely and sensibly.
One thing that came as a shock to me in watching this, no one accept the Thunderbolt mentioned that the uninjured child was wearing a seatbelt! Maybe if all the children were buckled up, perhaps injuries and deaths would of been lesser.
I think all students should wear safety belts when riding the school busses. So, perhaps the driver is not 100% at fault, but if she followed proper protocol, an accident surely would not have happened.
Finally someone gets it. With my videos not only do I look for every detail I can find, but I dont point out the "root cause" but I list every factor to the accident. Disasters are always a chain of critical events. Also most large school buses and every public transport bus I've rode has no seat belts but some older ones I rode and the small buses all had seatbelts. I definetly agree with the seat belt idea in all buses and for all vehicles stopping at crossings, its a little bit excessive but I still do it even on lines that see 1 train a day (not just because I'm a railfan) finally that driver should of been charged to several years in prision as thats usually what those charged with involuntary manslaughter get, even back then.
Fully agree with you Dennis B as a professional driver the responsibility for the vehicle and passengers/cargo is the driver's. Companies who bend the rules are just as bad as negligent driver's. I was both a commercial driver and a former military driver, The military rules were simple if we came to an uncontrolled crossing we stopped and checked before crossing the tracks, it didn't matter if we had people, gear or were empty we stopped.
It's sad that in this case kid's had to pay for the driver's blatant disregard of any safety rules.
Javie 20 Agreed, these people sound like they know what they’re talking about. It’s somewhat enlightening to read posts they made.
Moral support
ADS1Y1YWUWUWUWUWJJWJW7SHSUSUS7SUSUE7EUSS181
The fact they still hired her even after she got caught speeding once and was rude in class is stupid she should have NEVER been hired
No one wants to do the job, anywhere, if you breath they will have you. In Europe the job is not even counted as Saftey Critical.
Oh Hi Nathan
I mean, one speeding ticket almost 10 years before shouldn’t necessarily be disqualifying, but her behavior in class absolutely should have put up some flags.
NathancsxDiBenedetto21 right. Dumb, Stupid Criminals don’t deserve to get hired.
Alex Perrine one speeding ticket doesn’t make you a criminal. It’s a single summary offense, and if you were disqualified from a driving job for one speeding ticket there would be a lack of drivers across the country. Granted this individual was a horrible and irresponsible driver but a singular speeding ticket is not an indication of that. Nearly everyone who’s been driving for more than a few years has had one ticket
I remember that well. Driver’s attorney asked for diversion. Prosecutor objected and judge denied the request. Judge applied the maximum sentence of 90 days, telling the driver that if the law had permitted, he’d have sent her to prison for years.
Being negligent for the death of three children only gets you 90days? I broke into a car and stole some stuff and got 2 years, wtf.
Andrew W you can’t get a job now due to criminal record MUHAHAHAHAH
If I had it my way, if your criminal negligence got kid(s) killed, it's a one-way trip to an unmarked grave.
If only the law allowed it...
Them laws need changing.
As a locomotive engineer this hits home. Almost hit a school bus at a crossing about 3 years ago.
Been there several times. when I worked for Conrail we had a lot of rural crossing but most of my encounters were snowmobiles and ATVs abandoned on the tracks. I did work part time for a short line and it seemed like school busses were an every day problem but luckily we had bad track and speed was reduced but as upgrades took place and speed went up things got more nerve racking. My last run on the mainline was a near miss with a propane truck. I stepped down and took a yard job switch out cars till I got laid off.
I just wish that people would use common sense when driving at railroad crossings.
Same
Exactly! That bus driver made no sense during those interviews!
I just wish people would use common sense.
One of my biggest pet peeves is when people know that doing something can kill them, yet they do it anyway. Not stopping at railroad crossings or trying to beat a train both fall into that category for me.
ikr
"The bus was damaged beyond repair..."
When a train comes tearing your bus in two pieces, I think that bus is pretty much done for!
Nah, the insurance will cover it.
I'm not even a bus driver, and I always Stop, Look and Listen...just in case the warning systems fail...which I've seen happen!!!
Come to Africa, we don't have any of those fancy warning systems at level crossings, so you stop and look at every single crossing, and in rural areas you do get them a lot...
also, if a train passes but the lights are still red but dont flash but just glow, it usually means another train is coming
You are smart, these cases are stupid. As a railfan I know exactly what a train will do to anything and I do mean anything hits it, it is like putting foil in a blender only it's not just metal. You also gotta take it in to mind, you are not the only one who is affected by this. No I'm not just talking about the kids or passengers of the car, that isn't the only way people loose their lives to rails some just jump in front of them.
The driver and even the crew may feel extremely intense guilt for loss caused under their watch, so if you want to do something stupid because you think no one will miss you jumping in front of a train ensures you will be.
Im to yeung to derive
One time I saw the gates go down.....and there wasn’t even a train approaching!
I'm not a dad, but damn, I do have a couple of tears in my eyes! Those poor children!
I think every normal person breaks down when they hear about kids dying.
@@jamsanator0511 oof I'm not crying but my chest definitely feels tight. Poor kids didn't deserve this
Had a bit of tears in my eyes, and painful anger in my chest! I cannot believe she only got 90 days for what she did!
Those children will never grow up, they will never see their families again because of her.
I still cry seeing pictures and hearing about it.. I went to the school and was in 5th grade when i happened and 98-08 came by the lunchroom to drop the kids off every morning while i atr breakfast then that day the sky looked so differmt i cant describ it and that bus never showed that morning
Scene: looks real
Trainz Simulator lag: *let me introduce myself*
Ikr, I was convinced it was real until the cars started going "hmm, no."
Fr haha
BlindingLight lmao
Friggin junk Intel video drivers were overloaded and my processor was overclocked but oh well :/
@@Thunderbolt_1000_Siren it's all good man, great video.
Bus: I can make it
Train : HOLY CRAP
Bus: Oh No!!!
(Train hits the Bus)
Train: I’m fine.
3:56 "We'll get back to [the radio] in a little bit"
I can see where this is going
Prediction:-
He put the radio so loud he was distracted. And yeet his bus infront of train
Bruh it was correct
@@hackerman1752 "She."
Karen: "RULES ARE FOR EVERYONE ELSE BUT NOT MEEEE!"
I hate these people they deserve the exact same death as the children they killed
Karen: Rules for thee but not for me.
When I was in 1st grade, we went on a field trip to a nature center and there is only one thing I remember about the field trip. On the way back to school, we went over a railroad crossing and as soon as we did, the gates went down. I specifically recall looking up and seeing the gate barely miss hitting the bus roof, and looking out the window... and seeing the headlight of a BNSF train. Fortunately, we didn’t get hit, but to this day I still take railroad safety very seriously from that incident. The poor kids in this could have been me, RIP.
I never knew that happened to you.
The train would have had to jump the track to hit you.
@@algrayson8965 hes saying if it did or the school bus didn’t go over in time
good god you dodged a bullet there
Lucky you that was close
The family of Daniel Pack was my neighbor at the time of this accident. The devastation and heart break this woman caused this family and other families is beyond words. Their lives were forever changed. 90 days... Sad that those children's lives were only worth 90 days in jail!!
America's justice system has gotten worse overtime and nowadays is a joke. Petty crimes like drug possession lands you in for life, this incident gives you 90 days, and pedophiles get the equivalent of a slap on the wrist like that animal John Kricfalusi. I feel absolutely horrible for that family and all the others involved in this incident. You have my prayers.
@@Thunderbolt_1000_Siren you are very right!! What is sad is this drugs and anything to do with them is a man made law...taking another life is a GOD made law. Since when should a man made law trump a GOD made law?? Every thing is back wards. GOD and his laws are suppose to Trump all!! But it doesn't.
@@Thunderbolt_1000_Siren how is 90 Days enough Jail time?! The Driver Broke the Federal Law, Drove recklessly and left 3 Kids dead?! That should’ve lead to more Years in Jail
Seriously? Not even admitting it despite the fact that she killed her own kid?
She did I thought she was only seriously injured
From what I heard in the video, she was seriously injured.
No the daughter of the bus driver wasn't killed she was just injured badly.
He must’ve changed it then cause I heard in the premier she was killed.
@@Optimaloptimus her daughter did survive but was injured
When you're so negligent you don't even admit that you were at fault for killing 3 kids.
That's fucking messed up 😭😭😭
There were 3
She didn't care about the poor children...
dont race the train, you'll lose
Well, 9 times out of 10 at least
Curtis Warren BTW STOP BEGGING I’ve raced trains, I win. :)
@@tysonkennedy2252 well don't do it, you'll eventually lose, an be hurt
Nooo please dont
My dad did it once but we we we’re way far away from the train. Still, makes you think “what if”
If it's a train vs. you, the train will always win. I send my condolences to all those families who lost their children
In high school, I normally rode an activity bus home since I did activities after school, my bus driver never stopped at railroad crossings
Even if the crossings/ railroad tracks are abandoned the bus driver should always stop and check just be sure
@@stephanroller3209 Exactly right. And they should have two options. Either just stop, turn off the radio and AC/heater unit, open his/her window and the front door so they can hear the train's horn better, close the door and window, then go if the train hasn't come yet. Or report to their boss they might be late and would be forced to wait for the train to pass if they don't reach the crossing before the gates lower.
@Tucsoncoyote 2019 yeah I would, but I graduated 6 years ago lol
@@stephanroller3209 the one thing I do know, is the only time they don't have to stop is if there is an exempt sign on the cross buck, but dont quote me on it
@@stephanroller3209 not always, if there is a sign that says "Exempt" under the crossbuck. That means that the railroad crossing is abandoned to the point where the federal law doesn't apply to that crossing. As is it with 100% certainty that a train will not go through that crossing.
The bus driver should have been I jail for longer than 90 days
Yeah. If she was a man she whould had gotten more 🤬. I dont consider this a fair threatment.
She was definitely in protective custody too cause women inmates dont play that shit. People then men inmates are bad but it will never compare to when women with kids hear you caused kids to die
@@kanamekiyru For real 😒 Imagine what they would have done when they heard this happened with her *own* child in the bus.
She should have been given two life sentences for the deaths of the two students.
When Karens become responsible for the safety of other people's children, they will try anything to get out of trouble when they screw up
I think a Karen would probably stop sense they seem to know all the rules. Just saying.
@@madtrucker0983 Yeah, they know all the rules they just dont care
@@madtrucker0983 I’d say mostly they inforce rules that arnt real rules, like ur not allowed to be here, when clearly allowed yk.
@@slowspecv69 Well one thing we can agree on. Karen's are just a pain in the ass.
@@madtrucker0983
They pretend to know all the rules as well as the ones they pulled out their ass but pretend they are above them, thinking they’re special.
14:59 Minor correction here: she was actually sentenced to 4 years in jail, but could have gotten out as quickly as 90 days for "good behavior". Frankly, I think you shouldn't have a "good behavior" clause when you break federal laws that result in the deaths of 3 children...disgraceful situation.
I read 90 days in jail and then four years probation, but whatever, it wasn't enough!
Very well done. It is very well documented. I’m the guy from New Hope and Ivyland when you did the cab ride. I was the fan in the red.
The amount arrogance in this accident has me infuriated yet thankful for the responsible drivers that do drive school buses
Reminds me of when I was in kindergarten in rural West Virginia, my bus crossed the tracks, stopped, open the door and window, then went. Talking or making noise during that time was the absolute most trouble you could get into in elementary school. This was the early 80's and you would get the paddle for sure as well as suspended from the bus. Even my older cousin, who was no stranger to getting into trouble wouldn't break this rule.
What part of WV are you from? I live in Logan, WV.
@@boopsscoopz2206 That was in a town called Junior Wv, in Barbour County. Hard to explain exactly where, somewhere between Clarksburg and Elkins.
@@josephdurnal ☺️ Im familiar with Elkins & Clarksburg but I hadn’t heard of Junior before today. My school bus experience was a lot like yours. I had the same bus driver from elementary school throughout high school(the 80’s-90’s) He was a very nice man. He stopped the bus, opened the door and window, looked and would check again before going. We weren’t allowed to talk or be noisy during this time and us kids knew better than to make a peep. The few who ever tested his rule, got to know the principal’s wooden paddle personally.
I feel bad for the train driver, he had to live with the fact that this happened. He couldn’t have done anything to stop it, but he’ll still probably feel as if he could’ve done something. It’s so sad how so many innocent lives can be lost to people who are so arrogant and don’t take what they’re doing seriously.
Yes but what’s werid is that people blame the company or railroad for these crashes thinking trains are terrible and shouldn’t exist Which is unfortunate considering many people don’t ride trains much anymore because they prefer their shitty cars and stupid planes because they kill less the think about trains as terrible inventions that kill people when trains were made to help the country it’s so sad that trains often get the blame not the people that crashed into the train in the first place
I get my love of trains from my great-grandfather who was a conductor. Even to this day, they still fascinate me and I still wave at the engineers when I do see one! However, I still know that these marvels are extremely dangerous. It baffles me how people want to blame a train that can only function on tracks than cars that have free movement. I wish people would think safely when crossing tracks and use caution. I do not cross many RR tracks where I live now but I always treat them as if they are active when I do. Even though many rails where I live are currently not active compare to my small Southern Illinois town that has all tracks in use.
Ashley Nichole Petrea I like them as well. Trains and trucks all deserve respect especially in these days when they’re so busy. They can’t go home or stay home. They’re the most essential of all workers!
@@canamx399, thank you for your comment! I am always glad to see others who love trains as well; also considering the type of channel we have clicked on!
Ashley...your comment is very interesting, and well written!
When I was I was a kid, we lived in my great grandfather's house which was down the street from, what was a part of a mainline for EP and S, connecting TX and CA when my grandmother was a girl. Well, by the time I showed up on this rock, it was reduced to a rarely used siding and the tracks didn't even leave the city. But as a kid, once in a blue moon, while I waited for the bus, I'd hear the boom of cars being coupled!
My dad has been driving a truck, for nearly three decades, and when I was in my late teens, I got to go with him OTR. Many places, even though the outfit my dad drove for, permitted me to go with him after I signed a waiver, would only allow non-employees who RR men or Truck drivers in the yard, so I had to stay in the truck. Some times I could get out.
Whether or not I could be up close and personal, it is still very neat to me, to be around tractor/trailers and Locomotives/trains.
And while looking out of windows of steel or rubber wheeled beasts is not my thing, I do listen when the men and women who operate trucks and trains tell the stories.
After I heard that names of the dead children I took of my headphones and gave them a blessing and saluted them
I always get super nervous about a Car/truck/bus getting hit at the crossing by my house. If one of the trains ever came off the track it would literally be in my yard and destroy my shop
Mike Collins you need to move
I hope you have insurance!
you’re worried about your garbage shop but not the lives of the people in the crash
@@ventoaureo6128 I'm sure he would be, but there would be more casualties if it did derail.
If it didn’t destroy your shop, you could sell for a look
I heard that Dies Irae after 5:00 and knew I’m nothing good was coming. Nice audio cues overall, it really adds to the impact. An absolute tragedy, I hope it’s never repeated and that we learn from our mistakes.
This Happened on my dads birthday which is sad since he probably heard the accident on tv.
Nobody cares
Oh no your poor dad, fuck the kids who died but imagine hearing about this on your birthday so so sad
they would open the emergency door..
WTF
@@rdr2pro845 u evil.
30 days for each kid she killed...so she was out of jail before they were hardly in the ground. The hell with this justice system.
Here are some recommendations for other train disasters,
•The St Paul Minnesota yard crash 1996
•The New York city subway derailment 1991
And the TTC train collision 1995
@@memyye Yeah, and I requested the St. Paul wreck, too. If we do get a video of the St. Paul train wreck by next year, it might be on here by Sunday, February 14, 2021, the 25th anniversary of that disaster.
That poor R62 had to get wrecked at union square
The union square derailment is on b-day, August 28th.
A proper transit fan should do the NYC or TTC accidents. I don’t want to hear his arrogant voice speak on an area that isn’t his expertise.
also the 2019 Westbury S U V Vs 2 trains crash
I will have to say that despite this being an amateur vid, your animations are pretty good. I hope one day you'll find a career in the animation industry.
No hate for him but it wasn’t his animation no hate thunder bolt pls dont hate me
my bus driver went over a train track with out stopping
lucky the rail road was not in service because it was abandon
It feels like I know which train tracks you’re talking about
If a crossing is abandoned an application to mark it exempt can be made. At that point a sign will be posted marking the crossing exempt for school buses and hazmat transporting motor carriers. Even if a rail crossing hasn’t been used by the railroad in fifty years, it’s only exempt if marked.
Mine went around the gates while a train was in sight. I was in preschool
Mark0306090120 same
I had a bus driver that went over a crossing with a moving train 30ft from the bus, although slowly. Driver went right through.
90 days?! Hmm sounds about right. Justice is blind, deaf, and mute.
I absolutely love your videos, Thunder! If you don't mind me saying this, do you think you could do a video of the 1996 St. Paul train wreck? If not, don't worry, I understand.
*the braking of the train gave me chills down my spine, it really added with the crash there*
Operation Lifesaver is a God-tier sponsor.
Yeah!
And it makes sense
My rescue ambulance squad responded to the Congers NY accident. in 72.They were Nyack High School kids,I knew many of the families, graduated with their older siblings in 68. Was sick for 2/3 days after. Showed up at work later that day,in my suit with oil,grease,and blood splatter covering me.Boss drove me home.Shook for that whole night.
I can’t stand it waiting for this to premiere
I'm proud to be a Thunderbolt Patron. I encourage all railfans to join and help fund Thunderbolt in creating these historical and well-designed documentaries.
I remember being in school and riding the bus to various activities, usually with a coach driving and they would hit the overhead lights when coming up on crossings. Get a lot of angry honks at times but the coaches didn’t care. They’re the ones that taught me to stop at crossings in my personal vehicle, especially ones with no lights and or crossing arms. We have a lot of those where I live, I’ve pissed off many people doing it. But it’s better safe than sorry
"Yeah, 90 days seems like a sufficient punishment for the death of a fe children, and the rest injured. That seems fine." - The US Justice System
Wonder what would happen if she was a he...
The law was probably written towards punishing an auto driver and nobody ever envisioned a bus being involved . Many laws or codes are written for the average and nobody can predict the exceptional event.
Hey Thunder Im From The Netherlands, Can you Making Harmelen Railway Disaster 1962,
The Greatest Railway Disaster in the History of the Netherlands
Do later that in the Future.
Wikipedia: Harmelen Railway Disaster
To be honest, that animation of 80’ hitting the bus is really detailed and realistic. Nice job whoever did the animation!
16:16 There's a THUNDABOLTTTTTTTTTTTTTT in the background
I cant see it
I see it.
Thunder bolt, lighting,very very frightening.
5:13 there's what looks like a T128 replacing a Thunderbolt (both sirens are there)
@John Boudreaux I mean hey I can't tell either. What matters is that the thunderbolt is probably gone now
Sub bus drivers can be scary. I once had one that would go full speed to a red light than slam her breaks last second and she ran a red light lucky some of the students complained to our normal bus driver and we never seen that sub again.
I would like to say, I feel your videos are always well put together, and providing a great source of information. It shows the amount of time you put in to your research. Keep up the great work!
By the way have you ever looked in to the 1946 Naperville, IL train crash?
5:51 Brutal! Just brutal. That bus driver should've known better than to perform such a dangerous, inexcusable stunt like that. I saw both the 1972 Congers NY and 1995 Fox River Grove bus-train crashes, and the '72 wreck is why it's the law for all buses to stop at railroad crossings, quiet passengers, open the doors, look, and listen before being allowed to continue over the crossing.
I especially thought the bus driver should've been more careful considering that her own daughter was onboard the bus, but when not even that is enough to make someone act sensible, I don't know what else could've worked.
I'm impatiently awaiting new vid! I'm hoping ur staying safe while in quarantine too. Also, with this extra time on ur hands more vids are to come? One can hope 😉
Man, god bless the ones involved in this accident. It hurts my heart the most that this took place in my home state, where I live today
I can tell from the photo on the front this will be a good documentary!
13:04 now that’s a nice train driver. Letting the cars go by.
Right I bet the train dispatcher has a smile on his or hers face
90 days?! That's criminal in and of itself.
You haven't done one of these videos in a long time,so I'm happy you did a new one.
I love your train crash videos! RIP to those that do not make it back alive.
Yeah same.
Theres a lake i stay out at for extended periods sometimes. A single-track section of the railroad runs right next to the lake. There's a crossing just as you enter the road that runs the perimeter of the lake- no lights or anything just one regular octagon stop sign. It's way out in the country so no one thinks trains pass but multiple trains go by every night between midnight and 3am and one goes past every day around 3:30 pm. Two cars have been totaled there (thankfully no deaths) and i can't understand why you wouldn't just stop.
Great as always thunder!
I love watching your videos!
I think it bothers me the most that saw lied afterwards. Everyone has errors in judgement, & many times those errors have horrific consequences, but lying about it afterwards is unforgivable!
Another great documentary... I wish more drivers will be aware of rail road crossings... Keep up the great job...
That ending had my crying
Me to
good job making this Thunder it's great but it made me a bit sad.
1:23 that train looks too big
Didn’t expect this one thunder, great video though.
The fact that the only kid able to walk away from this crash was the one wearing a seatbelt, and people are still adamant that buses don't need seatbelts and that kids shouldn't be required to wear them on buses is unbelievable to me.
Seatbelts save lives. Both the driver and the student that were wearing seatbelts survived uninjured while the ones that didn't were killed.
I lived in Tennga. The accident actually happened in Tennessee just north of the state line. Kids in that area go to Murray (pronounced Murree) county schools. I worked at the St. Claire's gas station just a couple of miles south of the accident site. I used to watch the trains all the time at work but I was not working there then. It was a very sad situation and many didn't talk about it much out of respect for the families. Hard to believe it's been 20 years. Still sad.
I always wondered why my bus driver would open the door back in hs. I was like wtf you are letting the cold air in lol
13:22 The little child was right.
I work as en engineer on a fairly small GP16 and GP9, but even in these I still see over the tops of trucks and buses. Most people have this knowledge that trains are, well, massive and to know this and not care while carrying all those children, including her daughter, baffles me.
The way that the bus spun, even with strong frames, gives an idea of the extreme force involved in a collision involving trains.
for some reason, the people on school bus when they crash into train always r in elementary, no primary or kinder
S Trenes Perú American call the students in 4th grade Elementary.
And kinder is considered elementary as well as 1st to 5th
@@lyricvideos2209 in Peru 1 to 6th is Primary, 7th to 11th is secondary (elementary)
There is no middle school
Generally in the US, grades 1-5 are elementary, 6-8 middle, 9-12 high school and then college/uni past that.
In the paper, back then, she said she had to cross the tracks and into another other state to turn around. Since the turnaround was next to the tracks, and she still had her flashing 'stop' bus lights on and had previously stopped, she didn't think she was required to stop again, when she proceeded back across the tracks. Good to know that state finally installed a turnaround, before the tracks, @15:50.
RIP to the children who passed in this tragic accident, I hope they’re enjoying eternity in paradise
I use to run this bus route for the summer school students ( about 5 years before this incident) and I crossed this train crossing every day and I will tell you this, when I ran this route, the brush was grown up so bad around the track it was difficult to see very far in either direction. I would stop, open all my windows and doors and make everyone be quiet before I would pass. It was a bad crossing. I'm NOT releasing her from responsibility. I'm saying you have to be diligent and careful in places like that. You can't take driving a bus lightly and get complacent. It's scary out there. I pray I never have to go back to driving a bus for more reasons than one. This lady definitely needed to spend more time in jail.. like years. This accident affected me deeply. I'm sure it's because I drove a bus for Murray (pronounced Murr-ee not Murr-ray) county and had driven this very route. I was depressed for months after. Thank you for this video. I didn't realize there was anything about it.
It was bad enough before the accident all you had were just cross bucks. But even with gates, lights, and bells its very likely people like the driver in this accident will still ignore them because people are usually stupid. Even though I'm not a school bus driver I always treat RR crossings as stop signs not just because I'm a railfan but just to make sure its safe to proceed. Thank you for sharing this. It still sickens me how the driver's punishment was a mere slap on the wrist when she should of looked at several years for manslaughter.
Something BIG is coming.
*Distant familiar whistle blows*
Where I live, my school buses have the radio playing every time and don't cross train crossings. We barely have ANY train crossings and the train tracks are usually out of bounds from roads like the freeway or road.
Karens always lie when they screw up
Not only is this a lesson in being aware around railroad crossings, it’s also a lesson on wearing seatbelts. The only kid to walk away from the crash was wearing a seatbelt.
Please to Granville, doesn't matter if it's on the day it happened, I just thought seeing you did New Zealand and America you could do Australia
Spud MacWheels what happened at Granville, NSW? It would be neat if he did that
@@canamx399 train hit a concrete bridge killed 82 people in sydney in 1977 i remember this as i live in Australia
@@canamx399 hey I've just realized i left this comment Graville was a accident in which The train involved in the disaster consisted of eight passenger carriages hauled by 46 class electric locomotive 4620, and had commenced its journey towards Sydney from Mount Victoria in the Blue Mountains at 6:09 a.m. At approximately 8:10 a.m. it was approaching Granville railway station when the locomotive derailed and struck one of the steel-and-concrete pillars supporting the bridge carrying Bold Street over the railway cutting.
The derailed engine and first two carriages passed the bridge. The first carriage, which broke free from the other carriages, was torn open when it collided with a severed mast beside the track, killing eight passengers. The remaining carriages came to a halt with the second carriage clear of the bridge. The rear half of the third carriage, and forward half of the fourth carriage, came to rest under the weakened bridge, whose weight was estimated at 570 tonnes 560 long tons; 630 short tons. Within seconds, with all its supports demolished, the bridge and several motor cars on top of it collapsed on top of the carriages, crushing them and the passengers inside.[5]
Memorial plaque commemorating the disaster at Granville station
Of the total number of passengers travelling in the third and fourth carriages, half were killed instantly when the bridge fell on them, crushing them in their seats. Several injured passengers were trapped in the train for hours after the accident, with part of the bridge crushing a limb or torso. Some had been conscious and lucid, talking to rescuers, but died of crush syndrome soon after the weight was removed from their bodies. This resulted in changes to rescue procedures for these kinds of accidents.[citation needed] Rescuers also faced greater difficulties as the weight of the bridge was still crushing the affected carriages, reducing the space in which they had to work to get survivors out, until it was declared that no one was allowed to attempt further entry until the bridge had been lifted. Soon after, the bridge settled a further 5 centimeters onto the train, trapping two rescuers and crushing a portable generator "like butter".
Another danger came from gas LPG cylinders were kept year-round on board the train to be used in winter for heating. Several people were overcome by gas leaking from ruptured cylinders. The leaking gas also prevented the immediate use of powered rescue tools. The NSW Fire Brigade provided ventilation equipment to dispel the gas and a constant film of water was sprayed over the accident site to prevent the possibility of the gas igniting.
The train driver, the assistant crewman, the "second man", and the motorists including one motorcyclist driving on the fallen bridge all survived. The operation lasted from 8:12 a.m. Tuesday until 6:00 a.m. Thursday. Ultimately, 84 people were killed in the accident, including an unborn child.
My freshman year of highschool my bus driver was literally crazy. Like, she'd floor it going down hills and taking tight turns. But, she ALWAYS stopped at railroads and would genuinely listen for trains, I remember my friends getting yelled at by her for talking.
I am very happy that the child told everyone that she did not stop
One time in 1992 in my hometown the daycare van stalled on a railroad crossing and a train of loaded coal hoppers was coming. A construction worker driving a backhoe pushed the van off the tracks. The backhoe also made it off the tracks one minute before the train raced by.
Loss of life is always upsetting but the loss of innocent children that had their whole lives ahead of them, absolutely tragic. Rest in peace little ones 😢
14:08 The word you’re looking for is “chastised”, meaning “scolded”.
No shit Sherlock. What would actually help is writing the phonetics.
3:51 A/c in newer buses? Hell, a bus made in in 2014 doesn’t even have a/c.
Most newer school buses in the southern US have ac because the summers are usually in the mid 90s and extremely humid. This heat also occurs for several months of the school year.
I'm a truck driver. I was in Bessemer AL. Hauling a hazmat load. When hauling hazmat you are required to come to a complete stop like school busses. I came to an unguarded crossing. I didn't see or hear a train coming and was about to roll across. Then I thought you about the law and came to a complete stop to look and listen with my hazard lights on. It saved my ass as a train came barreling though across a three or four track crossing. Follow the law folks. Funny thing is knowing better than that with all my 23 years of experience I have to admit. Had I not been hauling hazmat I would have been hit that day.
People like that driver are the kinds of people that need to be grabbed by the shirt dollar and forcibly toured thru the wreck and forced to witness the aftermath of there actions while being asked *"WAS IT WORTH IT!?"* and *"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?"*
That the driver was the least injured is truly one of the worst injustices of this world
when I was in middle school. I had a bus driver who drove erratically even when There was a train coming. Luckily though. we were never hit
My great uncle was killed in a train accident he survived Monte casino in ww2 to comeback and be killed in 1946 in Buffalo in a train accident I'm glad you do these
15:02 Only 90 DAYS?! That bus driver should’ve been sentenced to 90 YEARS! Her recklessness and negligence got those kids killed!
At the time I lived in Chattanooga which was the closest major city. I remember when this happened I was in 8th grade. My parents were taking me to school and the traffic report came on. The man doing traffic was in a helicopter and had flown out to the scene.
This was the second School bus-train collision in the Chattanooga area. There was one back in 1955 in Spring City TN. Following the 1955 accident Tennessee became the first state to pass a law requiring all school buses to stop at railroad crossings. If any school-bus driver does not stop at a railroad crossing it is not treated as a traffic offense like most other traffic violations (speeding, running a red light, etc) instead it is treated as a criminal offense.