MENU
SEARCHThe school bus driver made an evasive maneuver that “prevented a potentially catastrophic tragedy,” officials for the Texas district say.
As a pickup truck approached, the driver of this Somerset (Texas) ISD school bus made an evasive maneuver that prevented a potentially worse outcome, officials say. Photo courtesy Somerset ISD
SOMERSET, Texas — A pickup truck headed the wrong way struck a school bus here on Thursday, but officials said that the school bus driver’s quick reaction protected her and her passengers.
Early Thursday morning, the Bexar County Sheriff's Office reported on Twitter that there was a wrong-way driver on a highway in south Bexar County.
The pickup truck clipped a Somerset Independent School District (ISD) school bus at an intersection and then fled, later colliding with another vehicle, authorities said.
Police then caught the pickup truck driver and arrested him. A photo posted on Twitter by the Bexar County Sheriff's Office shows major damage to the front right side of the truck, including a missing wheel.
Driver apprehended at 1604 & De Vilbiss after going wrong way & hitting school bus, no major injuries to anyone pic.twitter.com/yZosMmrsVj
— Bexar County Sheriff (@BexarCoSheriff) February 4, 2016
There were two elementary schoolchildren on the bus when it was hit by the truck. The students and school bus driver Christina Torres were not injured.
Somerset ISD praised Torres for her decisive actions as the truck approached her bus. District officials wrote on Twitter that Torres made “a split-second decision to utilize an expert evasive maneuver that prevented a potentially catastrophic tragedy from occurring, keeping her and our two elementary students safe.”
A police spokesman told KSAT that the pickup truck driver is believed to have been under the influence of a narcotic.
A Rockland County child was struck by their school bus late last week. Here's what we know so far about this and other fatalities and injuries in the area over the years.
Read More →
As Maine becomes one of the first states to require anti-pinch door sensors on new school buses, manufacturers like Mayser offer a look at how the technology works and why it's a critical fail-safe.
Read More →
What if your fleet technology actually worked together? Learn eight practical strategies to integrate multiple systems into one platform, unlocking clearer insights, stronger safety standards, and smoother daily operations.
Read More →
A recent Verra Mobility survey reports that 82% of parents support safety cameras to penalize stop-arm violators and 70% favor automated enforcement in school zones.
Read More →
$10 million in state grants will fund safety upgrades and new features on school buses serving students across the Buckeye State.
Read More →
After complications in multiple cities when self-driving taxis failed to stop for school buses, the NTSB joins NHTSA in a probe to determine what's behind the tech and related safety concerns.
Read More →
Transportant introduced a next-generation stop arm camera designed to improve image quality and reliability for documenting illegal school bus passings.
Read More →
Keeping buses safe, reliable, and on schedule requires more than manual processes. This eBook explores how modern fleet software supports school transportation teams with automated maintenance scheduling, smarter video safety tools, and integrated data systems. Discover practical ways fleets are reducing breakdowns, improving safety, and saving valuable staff time.
Read More →
See how a federal grant will help Albuquerque Public Schools expand supervised walking routes and improve student safety.
Read More →
A newly developed school bus safety device introduces a retractable barrier designed to deter illegal passing during student loading and unloading.
Read More →
