MENU
SEARCHDeianerah "D.J." Logan, 17, was killed when she rear-ended a school bus in September. An investigation finds that the teen was texting at the time. Her family says in a statement that “we would much rather be grounding her for this mistake than never hearing her laughter fill the house again.”
Deianerah "D.J." Logan, 17, was killed when she rear-ended a school bus in September.
BYRON, Minn. — A teenager who was killed when she rear-ended a school bus was texting at the time, an investigation has found.
Deianerah "D.J." Logan was 17 when she died in the September crash, which happened as she was driving home from the first day of her senior year of high school.
With the accident investigation complete, Logan’s family last week released a statement about the tragedy.
“Her error in judgment as a teenager in this brief moment in time was paid for with the highest price ever … her life,” the Logan family said. “We would much rather be grounding her for this mistake than never hearing her laughter fill the house again.”
The family said that the details of the accident are “devastating,” but they sought to raise awareness of the dangers of distracted driving.
“Cell phones are a distraction for many while driving,” the family said. “As parents, we need to educate and live by example by limiting our phone use while in the car.
“Our beautiful D.J. was a good kid, with good grades, great friends, a perfect driving record and loved life,” the family continued. “She made a mistake like all teenagers do in the process of growing up. Except this time, there is no growing up. We can only pray that others can learn from her.”
According to a Post-Bulletin news report from the time of the accident, authorities said that there had been two students on the bus, and one of them was stepping off when Logan’s minivan rear-ended the bus. Those students and the bus driver were not injured.
The Post-Bulletinreported last week that the crash investigation found that the Byron Public Schools bus driver appeared to be following all traffic laws.
Minnesota law prohibits all drivers from texting. Cell phone use is banned for school bus drivers and for teens with a permit or provisional license, but it is not banned for other drivers.
Logan’s accident recalls a crash in Georgia earlier this year in which police said that an 18-year-old driver was distracted by a text message when she swerved into oncoming traffic and hit a school bus head-on.
New research finds intelligent video systems are reducing crashes, lowering insurance costs, and reshaping safety strategies across school transportation fleets.
Read More →
Driver shortages and rising costs are straining already stretched school transportation budgets. Learn 12 practical strategies that help school bus fleets be more efficient, control costs, strengthen compliance, and protect student riders…all by using fleet technology that could pay for itself within a year.
Read More →
A growing push to expand AED access is raising a key question for the school bus industry.
Read More →
The recent investigative report found driver impairment and fatigue from prescription medications led to a fatal school bus crash in 2024.
Read More →
The alternative transportation provider’s 2025 Safety Report highlights 99.7% incident-free rides, 130 million safe miles, and more.
Read More →
Searching for the right equipment, technology, or services for your school transportation program? This industry guide brings together manufacturers and suppliers across the entire school bus market, all in one place. Download it to find the partners who can help move your operation forward.
Read More →
Child Safety Network appointed psychology researcher Michael C. Hout, Ph.D., to lead a study examining why drivers illegally pass stopped school buses.
Read More →
Investigators reported a remote assistance error allowed a Waymo driverless vehicle to illegally pass a stopped school bus in Austin.
Read More →
See how a new 50-state roadmap outlines 69 strategies for districts, law enforcement, and policymakers to reduce the 39 million illegal school bus passings reported each year.
Read More →
Recently, an Iowa student died after falling under a school bus, while 14 Oklahoma students were injured days later when a semi-truck rear-ended their bus.
Read More →
