Crime & Safety

Shore Regional Students Safe After Bus Fire

Bus driver safely escorted students from bus before it caught fire

Several Shore Regional students are fine after a school bus caught on fire Friday morning in Oceanport.

The bus driver, Wendy Bonett, safely escorted the students off the bus after she pulled it over to the side of Port Au Peck Avenue around 7 a.m.

Bonett experienced "dashboard issues" and the bus began to stall before she pulled it over, according to Shore Regional Business Administrator Dennis Kotch. After she pulled the bus over Bonett smelled something burning and "immediately got the approximately 12 students off and far away from the bus," Kotch said.

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"When she got off she saw smoking coming from underneath the hood of the bus," Kotch explained.

Bonett led the students down the road to Branchport Avenue and called 9-1-1.

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"When she looked back, the front of the bus was engulfed in flames," Kotch said.

The Oceanport Police, Fire Department and First Aid Squad responded to the scene.

After they were checked for injuries, of which there were none, the students were picked up in another bus and taken to school on time.

Assistant Principal Harry Chebookjian met with the students to make sure they were OK and if they would be able to take the exams they had scheduled for Friday. Kotch said all the students completed their exams.

Kotch praised Bonett for how well she handled the situation.

"Wendy did a phenomenal job and did everything she was supposed to do," Kotch said. "We are very proud of what she did."

Kotch said the bus that caught fire this morning was purchased by the school in 2011 along with two other buses. The two other buses, which were made by the Blue Bird Corporation, will be taken out of commission for the rest of the school year, which ends on Monday.

Kotch said the buses will be examined to make sure that they do not experience the same problems as the bus that caught fire on Friday morning.

The Oceanport Police are currently investigating the incident, but could not be reached for comment on Friday.


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