JACKSON COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) – A scary situation is over for a school bus driver on a mountainous road in Jackson County. The bus driver kept his cool when he slid on a patch of ice while driving up County Road 3 up Putman Mountain on Monday morning.
Jackson County Schools started at 11 a.m. Monday. The bus driver headed up County Road 3 to pick up students who attend Paint Rock Valley High School. It was earlier thought a student or two was on the bus. However, the driver never made it that far up Putman Mountain, because the bus slid partially off the road. The right rear wheels were nearly over the edge of a ravine. “We knew there was the possibility of some ice, and so we have it time for the ice to melt and for the sun to shine, and unfortunately it don’t shine everyplace,” Jackson County Schools Superintendent Kenneth Harding says.
The bus driver stayed aboard the whole time, waiting to be pulled back on the road. “You know he just hit a bit of ice, and slid sideways,didn’t panic, didn`t do anything crazy, just maintained composure,” Harding says.
Jackson County Public Works crews headed up to treat the road, but they couldn’t make it up the mountain due to ice. They, and the tow truck, finally got to the bus after 1 p.m. to pull it off the side of the road. Everything is okay now.
The driver said he’s been driving buses for 10 years and this is the first time anything like this has happened to him. “He does a great job, all of our bus drivers do, they take the precautions that they’re supposed to,” Harding says, “This is just one of those situations that we try to avoid.”
Jackson County Superintendent Kenneth Harding sent his transportation supervisor to the site. Communication was very limited, though, because it’s very difficult for crews to get a cellular signal from that spot.
The bus has already been checked out, and has been cleared to run its regular route in the morning. Jackson County School board members will continue to monitor winter conditions and adjust accordingly.
Jackson County Schools started at 11 a.m. Monday. The bus driver headed up County Road 3 to pick up students who attend Paint Rock Valley High School. It was earlier thought a student or two was on the bus. However, the driver never made it that far up Putman Mountain, because the bus slid partially off the road. The right rear wheels were nearly over the edge of a ravine. “We knew there was the possibility of some ice, and so we have it time for the ice to melt and for the sun to shine, and unfortunately it don’t shine everyplace,” Jackson County Schools Superintendent Kenneth Harding says.
The bus driver stayed aboard the whole time, waiting to be pulled back on the road. “You know he just hit a bit of ice, and slid sideways,didn’t panic, didn`t do anything crazy, just maintained composure,” Harding says.
Jackson County Public Works crews headed up to treat the road, but they couldn’t make it up the mountain due to ice. They, and the tow truck, finally got to the bus after 1 p.m. to pull it off the side of the road. Everything is okay now.
The driver said he’s been driving buses for 10 years and this is the first time anything like this has happened to him. “He does a great job, all of our bus drivers do, they take the precautions that they’re supposed to,” Harding says, “This is just one of those situations that we try to avoid.”
Jackson County Superintendent Kenneth Harding sent his transportation supervisor to the site. Communication was very limited, though, because it’s very difficult for crews to get a cellular signal from that spot.
The bus has already been checked out, and has been cleared to run its regular route in the morning. Jackson County School board members will continue to monitor winter conditions and adjust accordingly.
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