School Bus, Tractor-Trailer Drivers Killed in Fiery Crash

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — A school bus driver and tractor-trailer driver were among those killed in a fiery four-vehicle crash here on Monday, police said.

At around 5 a.m., two tractor-trailers and a school bus were stopped in the center westbound lane of Interstate 84, adjacent to the connecting ramp to Route 2 westbound, when a third trailer, driven by 52-year-old Norman Bliss, approached the stopped vehicles and “took evasive action by braking and steering to the left,” according to a report from Connecticut State Police. Bliss's truck, which was unable to stop in time, rear-ended the school bus, continued into the left lane, jack-knifed, and then subsequently caught fire, which spread to the other vehicles.

Bliss and the driver of the school bus, First Student driver Verlean Douglas, were killed. No students were on board the bus at the time, according to police. As a result of the impact, police say the two other tractor-trailers were also involved in the crash, but that the drivers were not hurt.

The crash still remains under investigation.

View photos of the crash, posted on Twitter by Squad Fire Photos, below.

East Hartford Ct. MVA with fire. I84 west prior to Connecticut River. @ctfirephoto @EastHartfordFD pic.twitter.com/LoMqlc9yIi

— Squad Fire Photos (@SquadFirePhotos) June 3, 2019