Rear-End Collision With Fuel Leak and Mixed Injuries
At 3:30 p.m. your bus is stopped unloading 28 students when a pickup traveling about 35 mph strikes the rear of the bus. The impact pushes the bus forward about 4 feet. The rear emergency door is jammed. You smell fuel and see a sheen under the rear of the bus, but there is no fire. One student has a bloody nose, another complains of neck pain, and a third is crying and refuses to move from her seat. The bus is on a two-lane road with a narrow shoulder; traffic is backing up. The temperature is 30°F. You have a fire extinguisher, first aid kit, radio, and cell phone. Your roster shows 28 students, and 6 have already stepped off.
1. Do you evacuate, and if so, how?
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Yes, you evacuate because of the fuel leak. A fuel sheen under the bus plus a jammed rear exit creates a fire risk that outweighs the risk of moving injured students. Use the front door and, if needed, the side emergency exit; keep students away from the rear of the bus and from the pickup. Move them at least 100 feet upwind and off the roadway, ideally to a driveway or lawn on the same side so they do not cross traffic. Account for the 6 students already off the bus and bring them into the group. The student with neck pain should be moved only because of the fuel danger; support the head and neck as best you can and have her sit down once clear. Do not reboard for belongings.
2. How do you account for all students and communicate the situation?
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Take the roster with you if it is within reach, or use your memory of the seating chart, and count students repeatedly until the count matches 28. Assign two responsible older students to keep the group together, but verify the count yourself. Call 911 first with the exact location, number of students, injuries, fuel leak, and the jammed rear door. Then radio dispatch with the same information and ask for a supervisor and a replacement bus. Do not release any student to an unauthorized adult; keep them at the assembly point until police, EMS, or school staff arrive. Notify the parents of the injured students through the school. Keep traffic away from the fuel spill and do not let students stand between the bus and the pickup.
3. What post-crash testing and reporting requirements apply to you as the driver?
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Because students were injured and the bus may require towing, this is likely a post-accident testing event under DOT rules. You must make yourself available for alcohol testing within 8 hours and drug testing within 32 hours of the crash, and you must notify your employer promptly. Do not drink alcohol or use drugs before testing, and document any medications you have taken. Cooperate with police and the school district investigation, but do not discuss fault with the other driver or on social media. Complete the district crash report with the time, location, weather, road conditions, what you were doing, the names of injured students, and the fuel leak. Preserve the bus camera and any dispatch recordings.