Pickup truck loses control, kills school bus driver

In a snowstorm near Aspen Park, Colo., last week, the driver of a bus with other bus drivers on board had pulled over to put on snow chains. A Colorado State Patrol trooper tells SBF that a pickup truck attempted to slow down and lost control, crashing into the bus and fatally striking John "Jack" Garland, one of the bus drivers who had gotten out to help.

Thomas McMahon・Executive Editor

March 14, 2014

Pickup truck loses control, kills school bus driver — In a snowstorm near Aspen Park, Colo., the driver of a bus with other bus drivers on board had pulled over to put on snow chains. John "Jack" Garland, one of the bus drivers who had gotten out to help, was fatally struck by a pickup truck that lost control.

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ASPEN PARK, Colo. — A school bus driver was killed last week when a pickup truck lost control and struck him while he was outside of the bus.

Trooper Josh Lewis of the Colorado State Patrol told SBF that the incident happened around 1:12 in the afternoon last Friday, March 7. There were about three school bus drivers on board the Jefferson County Public Schools bus, but no students.

In a snowstorm, the driver of the bus pulled over to the side of a highway near Aspen Park to put on snow chains. John "Jack" Garland, 63, who was one of the bus drivers on board, got out to help.

Lewis said that a Dodge Ram pickup truck on the highway attempted to slow down and lost control. The pickup crashed into the corner of the bus and struck Garland.

Lewis said that CPR was attempted on Garland, but he was ultimately declared dead at the scene.

A Jefferson County Public Schools spokesperson told SBF that Garland had been with the district since 2008. She said that he was "a beloved member" of the district's transportation staff.

The district spokesperson said that she could not discuss other details of the incident while it is still under investigation by the Colorado State Patrol.

Trooper Lewis said that he had not seen any charges filed in the crash as of yet.

Other recent news on winter accidents:

• Ice, snow cited as factors in 2 school bus crashes

Topics:Colorado winter Safety

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