A school bus carrying middle and high school students became fully engulfed in flames Friday morning around Johnson and Middle Roads near Springville. Thankfully, district officials report all students and the driver aboard were evacuated safely.
The driver and 15 students were checked over by EMS first responders at the scene, and were cleared to report back to the their school buildings. Another school bus was dispatched to pick the children and employee up.
"I’m extremely grateful to our first responders for their prompt actions," said Springville-Griffith Schools Superintendent James Bialasik in a written message to families. "Furthermore, thank you to everyone from the Transportation Department, Administrative team, and Clerical staff who assisted with this incident."
Bialasik added that their vehicles undergo regular safety inspections to meet the standard of the Department of Transportation.
"At S-GI, safety is always our highest priority from the moment a student sets foot on the bus to the time they are dropped off at home," he said. "Our trained bus drivers deal with a variety of situations depending on their route. We are proud of the way this unfortunate situation was handled."
The Erie County Sheriff's Office will conduct an investigation to figure out the cause of the fire aboard the gas-powered bus.
