School bus plunges off bridge onto interstate

[Laurent]

3 teens die in Alabama school bus crash
By DESIREE HUNTER, Associated Press Writer
48 minutes ago

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - A bus carrying high school students smashed through a guardrail along an overpass Monday and crashed nose-first 30 feet below, killing three teenage girls and injuring at least 30 other people, several critically, authorities said.

Students on the school bus, which had no seat belts, were screaming when rescue workers arrived. "They were thrown all over the bus," said Huntsville Fire Chief Dusty Underwood. Some had to be pulled from the crushed front of the bus.

Two teenage girls died at the scene, and a third died at a hospital, police said.

Police Chief Rex Reynolds said officers were looking for a small car that apparently came close to or struck the bus, causing it to veer off the elevated section of Interstate 565. More than 30 students and the driver were taken to the hospital, he said.

Frantic parents went to the scene, where some students sat dazed or lay draped in white sheets, and went to the hospital to find their children.

Hospital officials said staff members had trouble identifying some of the more severely injured students who were unable to talk and had no identification on them.

Some parents told WHNT-TV their children called them from cell phones as soon as the bus hit the ground, and they rushed to the crash site.

The bus was taking students from Huntsville's Lee High School to the Center for Technology, where students can receive special science and math credits.

Authorities identified the dead as Christina Collier, 18, Nicole Ford, 17, and Tanesha Hill, whose age was not immediately available.

The police chief said hospital personnel were able to speak with the driver.

Hours after the wreck, a damaged red compact car remained on the interstate near where the bus plunged over the side. But it was not immediately clear if it was the vehicle mentioned by the police chief.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061120/...hool_bus_wreck

I saw a little footage about it on the local news and it was horrendous.

I'm amazed school buses still don't have seat belts on them. At least not around here. Do they in other places?

I'm against bubble wrapping playgrounds and swing sets so kids never get a scrape, but come on, no seat belts? I don't know, maybe it wouldn't make much of a difference when a bus plunges 30 feet off a bridge, but still . . .

[LynnieD]

Oh my god....how horrifying. For everyone. Awful....

My heart truly goes out to the parents and families...

[suede]

Originally Posted by Laurent

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061120/...hool_bus_wreck

I saw a little footage about it on the local news and it was horrendous.

I'm amazed school buses still don't have seat belts on them. At least not around here. Do they in other places?

I'm against bubble wrapping playgrounds and swing sets so kids never get a scrape, but come on, no seat belts? I don't know, maybe it wouldn't make much of a difference when a bus plunges 30 feet off a bridge, but still . . .

Selt laws for buses vary from state to state.

Very sad - too young to lose their lives.

[sweetrebel]

I saw this last night, too. It is so sad. It's terrible to lose someone, but this close to the holidays....