SCHOOL BUS CRASH REPORTS 2007

Pennsbury School Bus Was in 1994 Accident
January 12, 2007

Police say the driver reported a stuck gas pedal in 1994 after the bus lurched into another. Friday's accident injured 17 students.

Why are children being endangered by use of this 12 year old bus with almost a quarter of a million miles of usage, and a history of  accelerator problem in its past?

The school bus that accelerated out of control Friday, injuring 17 Pennsbury High School students, was also involved in a 1994 crash caused by a stuck gas pedal, police said yesterday.

"The same bus was involved in an accident in 1994 in the lot of the high school," said Neil Harkins, public safety director for Falls Township. "The driver indicated at that time that the accelerator stuck, causing her to lurch forward into another bus."

Harkins said he had no additional details about that incident. He had been told of it yesterday, he said, by an investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, which is assisting police with the probe of  Friday's accident.

After picking up a group of students after classes Friday, Bus 42 inexplicably lurched forward, injuring 14 students standing on an adjacent sidewalk.

The bus then traveled west across the campus in lower Bucks County. Its frantic driver tried to brake, shift out of gear, and turn off the engine, but failed to stop the bus, according to the man's attorney.

As the bus bore down on another group of waiting students, the driver rammed it into a stone wall, slightly injuring three students on board.

Pennsbury School District spokesman Elliott Alexander said late yesterday that he knew nothing of the 1994 accident and could not comment. Alexander said he was aware of two recalls of Bus 42 and others of similar make, but added that neither appeared related to Friday's accident.

Harkins emphasized that the cause of Friday's accident had not been determined.

This morning will be the first day of classes at Pennsbury since the wild, and nearly deadly, rampage of Bus 42.

One student, Ashley Zauflik, was run over by the vehicle's wheels and remains in critical condition at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. No other injured students are hospitalized.

Despite yesterday's federal holiday, Pennsbury High School was open through the morning to students seeking counseling. Alexander said about two dozen students met with school counselors and psychologists.

School officials also sought to reassure parents of the safety of  Pennsbury's 128-bus fleet. Four buses of the same model and year as Bus 42 have been pulled from service.

So has another bus that has had problems with wheel bolts' shearing off, Harkins said.

Alexander said all buses still in service were inspected over the weekend by district mechanics. The district's Web site said that drivers have been told to inspect their buses carefully this morning before hitting the roads.

"Please be assured that the Pennsbury School District is committed to providing safe transportation to all students at all times," the site said.

With 205,000 miles on its odometer, Bus 42 was being used as a substitute when other buses were out of service, Harkins said. The 1994 model, made by Thomas Built Buses Inc., was subject to four recalls during the 1990s.

Problems involved transmission shifters, emergency-door locks, handrail design and battery cables, Harkins said. The last was in 1997.

A message left at the manufacturer's North Carolina headquarters was not immediately returned yesterday.

Bus 42's driver, John McCleary, had been at its wheel for only a few hours before the accident. McCleary's usual bus was in the shop for repairs, his attorney, Louis Busico, said in an interview yesterday.

McCleary, 54, a former mechanic who has driven for the district for seven years, is suspected of no wrongdoing, said Busico and school officials.

Instead, they have described him mostly in heroic terms.

"He is very broken up about what happened," Busico said. "By all accounts, but for his actions, this could have been a tragedy of greater proportions."

McCleary, reached at his home by phone yesterday, politely declined to be interviewed. He said his union had urged him to refer questions to Busico.

Recounting the accident, Busico said McCleary was beginning to pull away from Pennsbury's east-campus curb when "the bus leaped forward," the lawyer said.

"The bus seemed to be in a fast-forward mode."

A heavy man, McCleary leaned hard on the brake pedal. He tried forcing the gearshift into neutral. He tried removing the key from the ignition.

Nothing worked, Busico said.

"The kids were panicking," Busico said. "He told them, 'There is a major problem with this bus; I can't control it. Please remain in your seats.' "

By the time the bus neared the second group of students at the campus's west end, it was traveling at 35 to 40 miles per hour, he said McCleary had told him.

"He knew, 'If I don't slam into this wall right now, there will be more injuries,' " Busico said. "He told the kids, 'Please get down, brace yourselves.' "

After the impact, McCleary shooed the students out of the bus's emergency exits, fearing it might catch fire.

McCleary is on paid leave pending the results of the investigation, Busico said. He said that the family of Ashley Zauflik "are in his thoughts and prayers."

Zauflik's family issued a written statement yesterday from the hospital, thanking well-wishers, praising her medical care, and hinting that the girl is holding her own.

"The strength that Ashley has shown leads us to believe that all the prayers, love and support are being heard," the statement said. "Ashley remains in critical condition, so please continue with your prayers."

By Larry King
Inquirer Staff Writer

School Buses in Pennsylvania Seldom Face Age Limit

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