Two Children Die in Bus-Train Collision

A freight train hauling automobiles tore a school bus off its wheels in a collision at an unprotected rural crossing early Tuesday, killing two children and critically injuring five.

The train dragged the bus’ battered yellow body about 100 yards. Some of the children were thrown to the gravel beside the tracks. Others were found bloodied inside.

It “sounded like . . . thunder or a bomb blown up,” said Joe Brown, who lives about 300 feet from the crossing.

Killed were Kayla Silvers, 6, and Daniel Pack, 9.

The driver, Rhonda Cloer, 34, was listed in fair condition. Of the five injured children, ages 5 to 9, three were listed in critical condition and two were upgraded to serious. The driver’s 5-year-old daughter, Kayli, was among the injured. No one on the train was hurt.

John Watson, whose two sons had missed the bus that morning, arrived with the first emergency workers and helped pull one badly injured girl from the wreckage. “I was shocked that she was still alive,” he said.

The crash is raising questions once again about the safety of rural, grade-level crossings.

The one-lane crossing, just across the state line in Tennessee, had no warning lights or crossing arms, and the tracks curve through pine trees in hilly terrain, making it difficult to spot trains from the road.

It was unclear if the driver stopped at the tracks--Georgia law requires school buses to stop at least 15 feet from the tracks before crossing--or took other precautions, such as opening the doors to listen for a train.

The engineer told the Tennessee Highway Patrol he “blew his whistle, saw the bus approach the crossing, continued to blow his whistle and put the train in emergency stop but was unable to stop before striking the bus,” Trooper Ken Uselton said.

Cloer was driving her regular route for the Murray County school system, picking up children to take them to Northwest Elementary School, north of Chatsworth. The bus had just crossed into Polk County, Tenn., when it was struck about 6:30 a.m. The train--a 32-car CSX freight hauling Chevy Blazers--spun the bus around.

Kate Pannell, personnel director for Murray County schools, said she knew of no previous accidents on the driver’s record. She said Cloer had been driving for the district for about three years.

Residents said the bus driver seemed conscientious.

“Every time that lady has come through there, that bus has stopped at that road,” Edward Watson said.

Searching for explanations, he said: “It is hard to see a train coming, and if you have children on the bus, even if the train had blowed its horn, she may not have even heard it.”