Thread: FL: School bus hit by tractor-trailer

Originally Posted by jimpasz

Last modified 9/24/2008 - 11:41 pm
Originally created 092508

GOOD SAMARITAN TO THE RESCUE

Click-2-Listen



He risked his life to save students from bus fire




By ADAM AASEN, The Times-Union


With the rush of adrenaline and dark smoke flowing, it was all a blur for trucker James Horton.


sponsored links
Find Jacksonville Dentist
Jacksonville Dentists & Dental Offices - Cosmetic, Bonding & More.

www.YellowPages.com/Jacksonville
xd online magazines
Articles for xD Enthusiasts Spy Photos, Videos, Breaking News.

www.InsideLine.com
Magazine Subscription
Browse a huge selection now. Find exactly what you want today.

www.ebay.com
Ads by Yahoo!
The 43-year-old Jacksonville-based driver was heading back from Tampa on Tuesday afternoon when he saw a school bus engulfed in flames in Citra, not far from Ocala.

"God put us here for a reason, and we are here to help each other," Horton said Wednesday. "I could have drove right on by and not stopped and helped and that would have been like a bunch of other people did. But that's not me."

Twenty-one students were trapped in the flaming bus when Horton and three bystanders rushed in to carry them out. A 13-year-old girl he wasn't able to save died in the fire. Eight other students were injured - two critically.

Just seconds after Horton and the others got out of the bus, it exploded.

He can't remember how many children he saved or where they were when he entered. What he remembers most is the sounds of children screaming and the feeling of disbelief.

Chaos, smoke and danger

Horton said he was inside the bus for a matter of seconds because it was so chaotic. The smoke and heat were so dangerous that he couldn't stay long.

"It was really intense," he said. "You couldn't think - just looking. Trying to grab somebody to save. Once we got off the bus it was fully engulfed, and if we stayed any longer, we would have died, too, because it blew up."

Horton said he tried to save the teen who died, but she was trapped under a seat and they couldn't reach her. He said he didn't know what to do, but he had to get out or he would have died as well.

Her name hasn't been released to the public.

Horton was delivering tires for Barron's Wholesale Tire when he saw the crash.

Authorities said Reinaldo Gonzalez, a 30-year-old tractor-trailer driver, was on his cell phone when he hit the bus on U.S. 301 near 155th Street in Marion County.

Thinking of his own children

After the rescue, Horton said, he immediately went to the side of road and started crying because he knew that his three children - ages 17, 14 and 11 - were on a school bus in Jacksonville at the same time. He said he prayed to God that his children were safe and called later to check on them.

Horton said he talked to Gonzalez at the scene, covered in blood, and he feels for him, "because his life is over with. He'll never drive and he'll probably go to prison."

No charges have been filed in the accident.

David Golden, the operational manager at Barron's, said he never allows his truck drivers to talk on a cell phone while driving because it's a safety concern. If a driver speeds through a school zone once, he said he'll fire the employee.

Golden said Horton is one of his best truck drivers, "a burly man like that," who's as good a guy as he is a driver.

Haunted by the screams

Horton didn't take a day off and was back at work on Wednesday, driving to Savannah. He said he owed it to his employer, but it was an emotional day.

"I haven't been able to eat," he said. "Sleeping was difficult because I keep running through my mind the sounds of children screaming. That sticks in my mind. Just to know the little girl burned to death. I don't even want to think about it, but that's in my mind, too, because I keep hearing screams."

Horton said he's uncomfortable with TV stations calling him a hero. The one thing he doesn't think twice about: whether he should have stopped.

adam.aasen@jacksonville.com,

(904) 359-4247

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/s ... 7822.shtml

Very compelling article jimpasz

Schee Family Releases Statement
Thursday, September 25, 2008 2:05:53 PM


View LargerBelow is a letter released by the family of North Marion Middle School student Frances Schee. The teen was killed in a fiery school bus crash on Tuesday that involved a tractor-trailer.


September 25, 2008


TO: All Concerned Citizens

FROM: The Schee Family


As we are sure that most of the public is aware, the events of the past few days have devastated our family. However, we would like to take this opportunity to offer our hearts, our thoughts and our prayers to the bus driver, the students and the family and friends of the children that were involved in this tragic school bus accident. If there is anything that our family can do for any of the other victims in the accident, please feel free to contact us and we will do whatever we can to help in any way.

To the four "Hero's" that risk their lives to save the lives of the children and the bus driver on that tragic day, we want you to know that we consider you hero's and that your selfless act of courage and sacrifice has given comfort to our family. We thank you for what you did from the bottom of our hearts. This single act of self sacrifice demonstrates to all of us the kind of people that live and work in the North Central Florida area. Again thank you for what you did.

Frances "Margay" Schee (pronounced Ski) was a wonderful and beautiful child, Margay only knew friends in her life, if you knew Margay, then you knew she was your friend. Margay was deeply loved by her entire family; although she can not be physically present with us she will not be forgotten.

To those in Governess, this situation was not only preventable, but was foreseeable and this can not be allowed to stand. Over the next few months, our family will do everything in it’s power to bring forth comprehensive reform, leadership and changes in how the school bus delivery system is implemented and how the entire school bus system is operated and managed. We would be doing a disservice to the children of Marion County and to the memory of Margay Schee to do any less than our best to change and improve the system and save lives.
We have received many telephone calls from citizens that wanted to make a donation. If that is something that anyone wishes to do, we have set up an arrangement with the Marion County School Foundation to act as a custodian for any donations. These Donations will be used to fund College Scholarship funds for Margay's other brothers and sister. Please contact Julie Shealy at 352-236-0550 for more information. Many other people have asked about where to send flowers. We are asking people to not send flowers, please feel free to make a donation to the Marion County School Foundation or Margay loved her animals, so if you like and want to make a donation, please donate to the Marion County Humane Society in her name.

Nothing in the course of human events can prepare you for this kind of situation, there is no playbook on what to do. We want to thank all our family and friends that have turned out to help in caring for the kids and all the other sacrifices that they have made for us. We are a small but very strong family and the events of the past few days have proven that. We ask the media to stand back and give us some room to grieve and deal with this situation the best way we can. Please keep us in your prayers and remember God must have needed a clarinet player for his band, and we can tell you he got a good one.


God Bless You All,

Elissa and Jamie Schee



Comment on this story.


http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Sidebar/20 ... ement.html

And HOW does one manage to NOT see a huge yellow thing on wheels in front of oneself??????

I drive a school bus. "I didn't see the bus" is the most common excuse of people who ram their vehicles into a school bus. [/b]

Originally Posted by andie531

And HOW does one manage to NOT see a huge yellow thing on wheels in front of oneself??????

I drive a school bus. "I didn't see the bus" is the most common excuse of people who ram their vehicles into a school bus. [/b]

Welcome andie 531 to alipac:

andie531 Welcome to Alipac

Originally Posted by jimpasz

andie531 Welcome to Alipac

Thank you!

Hey andie531 welcome. Glad you found us.

WELCOME andie531!!!

Originally Posted by andie531

And HOW does one manage to NOT see a huge yellow thing on wheels in front of oneself??????

I drive a school bus. "I didn't see the bus" is the most common excuse of people who ram their vehicles into a school bus. [/b]

Welcome to ALIPAC, andie531!

I know people SAY they didn't see the huge yellow bus ... but unless there's a full-blown white-out, it would be virtually impossible to actually NOT see it.

Thanks for driving our kids back and forth to school, andie, please keep them safe

Bus accident victim's mom calls for boycott

By Suevon Lee
Star-Banner


Published: Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 10:43 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 12:13 p.m.
OCALA - Frustrated that her proposal to improve school bus safety in Marion County has "fallen on deaf ears," the mother of 13-year-old Frances Margay Schee is calling for a boycott of all county school buses.


BRUCE ACKERMAN/STAR-BANNER FILE Frances Margay Schee, 13, left, is shown in a band picture with a classmate in this photo displayed during a press conference at North Marion Middle School in Sparr on Sept. 24.

click to enlarge Frances Margay Schee's parents Elissa, left facing the camera, and Jamie Schee, are consoled at a remembrance service for Margay at Jervey Gantt Park in Ocala on Sept. 28.
LEE FERINDEN/STAR-BANNER FILE
In an open one-page letter to parents dated Thursday, Elissa Schee urges parents to boycott the school buses starting the week of Monday, Oct. 13.

"If you are a parent of a student that rides school buses then, please for the safety of your children, Do not allow them to ride the buses until the people we have elected decide to get off their backsides and care enough to do something," she states.

Schee criticizes the School Board for failing to respond to a proposal she submitted two weeks ago and for their lack of empathy concerning her daughter's death.

"No one from the Marion County School Board has even bothered to call or even send me a card or nothing. Instead, the school board hides behind their lawyers and bloggers in order to get their message out," she writes.

In her four-page proposal, Schee introduced several changes to the school bus system. Those changes included removing highway bus stops, arranging a student pickup and drop-off point at churches or other public facilities and reviewing the number of children allowed on to each bus.

Schee's daughter, Frances Margay, was killed Sept. 23 when a semi-trailer slammed into the back of her school bus along U.S. 301 near Citra. Both vehicles erupted into flames; other children survived the wreckage after being rescued by bystanders.

Schee, who has three other children who attend Marion County schools, states that she will find a way to transport them to school without the buses.

"Whatever it takes to get the attention of the proper elected officials in order to get something done I am going to do it," she writes.

She continues, "So if the elected officials think I am going away, you have no idea who you are messing with."

UNEDITED FULL TEXT OF SCHEE FAMILY NEWS RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE

October 9, 2008

REFERENCE OPEN LETTER TO ALL PARENTS OF SCHOOL CHILDREN IN MARION COUNTY

As many of the citizens of Marion County are aware, 2 weeks ago, I called for and set forth a comprehensive plan for change concerning the school bus system in Marion County.

It saddens me to report to the parents of Marion County School System that my pleas have fallen on deaf ears. This comes as no surprise to me given the fact that since the tragic and avoidable death of my daughter Francis Margay Schee, no one from the Marion County School Board has even bothered to call or even send me a card or nothing. Instead, the school board hides behind their lawyers and bloggers in order to get their message out.

I am calling for a Boycott of all Marion County School buses. If you are a parent of a student that rides school buses then, please for the safety of your children, Do not allow them to ride the buses until the people we have elected decide to get off their backsides and care enough to do something.

The reform plan I offered is something that can be implemented at little or no cost to the community and most importantly this plan would save lives. But the officials that are in charge of the school bus system either do not care about school bus safety or do not care about the children or the school bus drivers.

I would have never in a thousands years thought this kind of reaction would come from people that are charged with the care and safety of our children, but I still have 3 children that need to get to and from school, so whatever it takes to get the attention of the proper elected officials in order to get something done I am going to do it. So if the elected officials think I am going away, you have no idea who you are messing with. So let’s work together and have a comprehensive review of all of the current bus stops and let’s develop a plan so that no other mother or parent of a child that rides a school will have to attend another funeral because we should have and could done something.

Let the Boycott begin, starting Monday October 13, 2008!!!!

Elissa Schee

http://www.ocala.com/article/20081009/N ... or_boycott