Delaware sees drop in number of bus crashes
DOVER, Del. — The number of school bus crashes in Delaware decreased by about 39 percent in the past five school years, according to state officials. The state logged 212 bus crashes in the 1998-99 school year and about 130 in 2003-04. Ron Love, school transportation supervisor for Delaware, said the state may end this school year with fewer crashes than last year’s 130, as the current estimate is about 61.

Two men hijack school bus in southern Florida
MIAMI — Two armed men allegedly hijacked a school bus in early March. According to the driver, they approached the bus while it was stopped at a light. After pulling a gun and demanding that she open the door, the men forced her to drive along several streets. Eventually, the men exited the bus without harming the driver. No students were on the bus during the incident.

Wisconsin gives parents access to bus driver names
MILWAUKEE — A new state law will require that names of school bus drivers be made available to parents and also will make provisions for criminal background checks on drivers every four years. In the past, names of bus drivers were not available to parents, and drivers’ backgrounds were checked only at time of hire and at the eight-year renewal mark.

Family of teen killed in crash files lawsuit
LOUSIA, Va. — The parents of a teenager killed in a school bus crash earlier this year filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver and the school board. The suit claims that “recklessness, carelessness and/or negligence” on the part of driver Lorrie Ann Batten led to the crash, in which the bus hit a tree. The family asked for $10 million in damages.