CIRCLE, Mont. — A bus driver was among the individuals killed in an accident last Wednesday involving a school bus and a Ford Explorer Sport Trac SUV.
Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Nyle Obergfell told the Billings Gazette that the SUV was traveling eastbound on a highway and the school bus was in the westbound lane.
“It looks like the Explorer for some reason drifted over into the westbound lane and collided head-on with the bus,” Obergfell said.
Both vehicles caught fire. The school bus driver, who worked for Circle School District 1, was killed, along with the male driver and female passenger of the SUV. There were no children on board the bus.
Don Whitmus came across the crash while driving toward Billings, Mont. Whitmus tried to get inside the bus, but the flames were too intense, the Billings Gazette reports. A nearby resident then arrived and tried to get to the bus driver out of the vehicle through its rear emergency exit, Whitmus told the newspaper, but the heavy smoke drove him back.
School bus driver killed in crash with SUV
The bus driver was traveling westbound on a highway when the SUV, which was traveling eastbound, drifted into the westbound lane and collided head-on with the bus; both vehicles then caught fire. The driver and passenger in the SUV also died in the accident.
More Management
All About Cooperative Purchasing: A Guide for School Transportation Pros
Stop bidding everything and try a simpler way. Here's how cooperative purchasing can streamline purchases while maintaining compliance. Sourcewell breaks down the process in this episode of The Route, sponsored by IC Bus.
Read More →
EverDriven Launches New School Bus Routing Services
The alternative transportation company expands its services to traditional yellow buses with the launch of a new division focused on helping school districts optimize their routes.
Read More →
2026 Trailblazer: Joshua Roberts of First Student
Roberts, 35, serves as the lead IT application engineer for vehicle electrification at First Student, where he helps shape scalable, real-world EV infrastructure to support student transportation.
Read More →
2026 Trailblazer: Quavion Swazer of Puyallup School District
Swazer, 29, serves as director of transportation at Puyallup School District, where he champions student wellbeing and inspires the next generation of industry leaders.
Read More →
2026 Trailblazer: Katia Dubas of IMMI
Dubas, 38, serves as sales manager and safety advocate at IMMI, where she advances school bus occupant protection through industry education, OEM collaboration, and proactive safety policy efforts.
Read More →
2026 Trailblazer: Eric Kramlick of TransPar
Kramlick, 30, runs operations for TransPar in Hawaii, where he also showed dedication while helping Maui recover from the recent wildfires.
Read More →
2026 Trailblazer: Jonquez Moore of Little Elm ISD
Moore, 32, grew up around the school bus, leading him to the classroom and eventually inspiring high-performing teams while bringing operations in house (twice).
Read More →
2026 Trailblazer: Joshua Baran of Odyssey Charter School
Baran, 38, serves as transportation supervisor at Odyssey Charter School in Delaware, where he leads daily operations with a focus on safety and professional growth.
Read More →
2026 Trailblazer: Tyler Maybee of Denver Public Schools
Maybee, 36, leads transportation operations for Denver Public Schools, where he is advancing equity, efficiency, and cross-department collaboration to improve student access.
Read More →
2026 Trailblazer: Lexi Higgins of TAT
Higgins, 38, serves as director of industry engagement at TAT (Truckers Against Trafficking), where she equips school transportation professionals with the tools to recognize and report human trafficking.
Read More →
