A Northwest R-1 school bus ran off the side of Wild Valley Drive near Antire Road and landed in a ditch in High Ridge this morning (Feb. 26). The High Ridge Fire Protection District got a call at 7:27 a.m. about the accident, Deputy Chief Ken Theiling said.
At the time, the bus was in a ditch and leaning against trees on the side of the road. Three students and the driver were in the bus, but none of them were injured, Theiling said.
“They were shaken up inside the bus,” he said. “The driver was afraid to move, because she was afraid the bus was going to tip over. She couldn’t tell how stable it was.”
Theiling said after he arrived on the scene, he walked around the bus and determined it was secure, so the students and driver were able to exit through the bus’s rear emergency exit and walk up a hill where High Ridge Fire and North Jefferson County Ambulance District personnel were waiting.
“We got everyone on safe ground,” Theiling said. “We stopped traffic and got them up onto the roadway and walked to the top of the hill.”
The bus, which is operated by First Student, was transporting the students to Woodridge Middle School, said Jessica DiPaolo, Northwest director of administrative services. Northwest has used the bus company to transport students for the last 15 years.
A new bus was called to complete the route, DiPaolo said.
“For this situation, the hill was pretty steep to walk up,” DiPaolo said. “The ambulance and fire department helped us out and got the driver and the kids up the hill for us to meet the bus and parents.
“The driver handled it beautifully and made sure all of the kids were safe and OK. We are always grateful to our drivers, because their first priority is our students’ safety.”
Theiling said two parents came to the scene to pick up their children, and district officials made sure the other student was taken to school.