The Fox River Grove Incident 23 years later

Update: 11/7/19 Over 2 Million views! My goodness
UPDATE: 2/24/18 1 MILLION VIEWS!! HOLY CRAP! Ok I knew I was popular but I never thought I'd hit so many views.
Update: 11/22/18. This video has officially surpassed the 1st Cajon pass video. Half a million views too? Wow um... uhh... I don't know what to say other than Thanks! Become a patreon to help make more of these videos possible or donate down below!
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I didn't get to start work on this one last year but after 5 days of work here it is now finally finished. Another one that was requested. On October 25th 1995 school bus 103 was struck by Metra train 624 bound for Chicago. As we revisit that fateful day we uncover some disturbing facts like a green traffic light that was never seen or a nurse for the dying trying to save a boy that dies in his arms. I am changing the style of these documentaries to look more professional in the future and this one has 0 music from Thomas and friends or any other source people cried about (Although I may use them again in the future) Enjoy and do not expect videos around Thanksgiving due to Sunday after and family.
Personally the credits scene was one of my favorite parts of this documentary. Special thanks to Coasterfan2105 for his incredible videography of those Metra trains. You rock! I recommend you subscribe to him for more awesome videos too

[@leorobin832]

All these comments are trash. I feel like none of you watched the video all the way through to completion to see why this accident actually occurred and that’s not totally the bus drivers fault. I keep seeing people say “why didn’t she move off the tracks?” “Why did she just sit there?” “ there’s no way she couldn’t hear the train and the kids yelling at her to go.” Because she didn’t know she was on tracks. She didn’t know why the kids were yelling and only had seconds to try to figure it out. How can she clearly hear what they are saying when they’re all screaming in panic? Also it’s been stated that the intersection was poorly designed and that multiple things are modified (like light times) that screwed up the system and made it possible for an accident like this to happen in the first place. You can so easily judge her from behind your screens because you did not live this moment like she did in that drivers seat. And if you try to say that she should’ve known her route better, she was subbing for somebody who had called off. She doesn’t drive any of the routes. She just works in the transportation department for the school. “She should have felt the bar hit the bus.” Well I’m not surprise she didn’t because kids bouncing around on the bus can make that easy to miss and I doubt it hit the bus hard enough to be noticed on the inside. It was a driver behind the bus pointed out that the bar came down and tapped it. And the light turning green? She was too distracted by the screaming to notice. Otherwise she would have pulled through and the bus never would’ve been hit. I don’t know if you can really find fault with the bus driver or not considering all the factors in play. The most you could really say is maybe she should’ve had a little more situational awareness but how could she have known she needed to pull forward if she thought she was clear of the tracks? How was she supposed to be more situationally aware? Perhaps she should’ve just listen to the students and pulled out into the traffic but then they would’ve gotten hit by a car and since she didn’t know the train would hit them why would she pull into traffic and risk getting hit? Also it’s quite mean to say she shouldn’t work in transportation ever again when all she did was go back to her original position because she was just subbing to drive that bus for the day. She needs to have a job so she can eat and have a home. Maybe she had a family she provided for. You don’t know.

[@Thunderbolt_1000_Siren]

FINALLY ANOTHER PERSON GETS IT! While she was one of the main contributing factors, there were scores of others that led to disaster especially that rubbish crossing design! The fact similar designs exist especially a few in my area makes me facepalm hard, I swear some construction contractors are born to be dropped on the floor as soon as they exit the womb. There's a reason I went through the scores of other factors big and small right down to the crossing timers before talking about the driver & the last minute green light. I don't know if Patricia's driving record was as bad as the one involved in the Tennga collision or the Congers incident (Both drivers had bad driving records in those incidents and were generally A$$holes) but if her record was as bad as those 2 that could explain the lapse in judgement but good lord these kids in the comments make it out like she was the offspring of Satan or something even saying "ShE dId It On PuRpOsE" or "iT wAs MuRdEr" like excuse me?! Compared to the Congers and Tennga drivers she's tame in comparison. She obviously didn't do it on purpose if she got up seconds before impact thinking a crisis was going on inside the bus like a fight or something, believe me high school kids are a different breed of crazy at times.

[@themarylandman1475]

Facts.

[@teenat7044]

One of the only sensible comments I've seen. Thank you. So many people bashing the poor bus driver and it's just unnecessary

[@Thunderbolt_1000_Siren]

@@teenat7044 That's why I pinned it replacing my years old status update pin. I'm getting sick of people demonizing the driver. Yes she made a mistake no question but compared to the other 2 bus vs train crashes I've covered she's tame in comparison.

[@Ledboi420]

Facts

[@nimbly1693]

Never stop on a track. Run the damn light.

[@phantomaviator1318]

Yeah.

[@richardeast3328]

Seems so logical.

[@stopbeingahypocritepeople4437]

If you want to live yeah man that's smart

[@jackhewitt7902]

Well the Highway Code witch is the uk equivalent it actually says that if your driving over a level crossing/rail road crossing that if the lights and the alarm sounds you are to drive to the other side of the crossing as fast as safely possible

[@anjelicacooper8057]

exactly I'm not trying to be killed and not trying to kill anyone else 100% the bus drivers fault

[@kiyarah]

Ironic it was a safety supervisor that was driving

[@justanormalbird8302]

Oof

[@jacobbennett4131]

@@justanormalbird8302 aayyye cancer my 🅱️

[@Epic24123]

what i was thinking lol

[@algrayson8965]

The plant safety supervisor where I worked injured my hand from a gross safety violation. Yet I was the one subjected to the drug test, not him!

[@yeahoh2222]

F

[@Trainfan1055Janathan]

I used to be a school bus driver and they used this and other incidents to teach us railroad crossing safety.

[@ashevilletrainman6989]

Trainfan1055 x to doubt

[@Metal9040]

Asheville Trainman He was he made a video on it

[@jakewhite9253]

Y is ur profile pic a train

[@LakeHatchineha]

It's sad that even with these train safety videos, people ignore them, and sometimes it can turn for the worst.

[@megumin2562]

That's kinda....morbid.

[@ChilledBacon]

Stories like these make me realize why my parents worry when I'm out of their sight...

[@8ball576]

And you would think oh their safety patrol, no they have a reason for that. You get a thumbs up for me

[@prettiestmills2.0]

Exactly. And my parents are especially overprotective of me because so many bad things have happened to me. I realise that they just would rather have me alive than dead

[@Fitzpatrick65]

RIP Jeffrey J. Clark at age 17, Michael B. Hoffman at age 14, Joseph A. Kalte at age 16, Shawn P. Robinson at age 14, Tiffany Schneider at age 15, Stephanie Fulham at age 15 and Susanna Guzman at age 18. You will not be forgotten.

[@deleteduser87]

F

[@sheogorath2657]

barrettproduction who are they?

[@oldaccount167]

My names Tiffany... foreashadowing...

[@alicecupeles62]

WarriorPassionXx cause i need a last name just stop it you sound goofy..

[@Glufub]

Sheogorath who do you think they are.. they’re clearly the children who died in the accident

[@mjaynes288]

Thank you for mentioning the engineer. So many times people forget to mention the trauma of train crews. They are victims of grade crossing incidents as well.

[@domino5525]

If the bus got hit by the train it is not the trains blame it takes a 1 mile for a train to stop it’s the bus for the blame they was on the rails.

[@jennybiddle-smiley7173]

@@domino5525 that doesn’t reduce the amount of trauma the conductor will experience being a part of the incident.

[@inkyguy]

@mjaynes288, and people who jump in front of their trains too.

[@russeldevries1642]

I dated a female train engineer . She just wasn't right in the head . .

[@jodirook71]

When I was a paramedic I had a patient dying of cancer. He told me he had resolved his life, but for a woman who parked her car on the tracks with 2 kids inside to commit suicide, he could not stop. We talked and I held his hand and said it wasn't your choice, you were a victim just like the kids.

[@unwritten_zephyr]

I have family who work for the railroad, and one thing they told me when I got my license was this; if you’re crossing the tracks and the gates close down on you, drive through them. They’re made of a material thats easy to break, and replacing the gates is much easier than dealing with you getting hit by a train.

[@RegnokkOSRS]

It’s scary that this needs to be explained. How stupid do you have to be to value a guard rail over your life? Lol

[@klystron2010]

@@RegnokkOSRS People might not realize they're breakable, especially not in the heat of the moment.

[@MrFrazierNation]

@@klystron2010 Correct

[@turfdesturcto7325]

If this happened would you stand still

[@BoutiqueTiger]

@@klystron2010 that’s called natural selection. Not to mention, you could just get out of your car

[@Micah_777]

If you’ve got 30 kids screaming “ There is Train, MOVE”, a train horn blasting, and bystanders yelling to you move and you’re confused… AND your like the school safety director thing…just how.

[@julesssssssss]

combined with the fact that the gate hit the roof... sounds more like it was pre-meditated than an accident

[@baaldiablo8459]

She's guilty.

[@demanischaffer]

From the timeline this all occured in less then 20 seconds The train driver reported seeing the bus cross the tracks 23 seconds prior to collision The accident investigation found that without those 20 seconds the screaming of the kids caused the driver to turn around and belive that there was an emergency inside the bus and the driver missed the light turn green

[@demanischaffer]

@L "she shouldn't have stopped in the first place" The investigation concluded that she never knew she was on the track, why would she "keep going" into oncoming highway traffic? Also the fence hit the back of the bus, she didn't stop on the tracks, she stopped at the intersection of the highway and because of the *poorly designed* crossing the back of the bus crossed onto the tracks The investigation also found that the screaming of the kids confused the driver and she mistook it as an internal bus issue so she diverted her attention to the kids which is when the train going at around 70 miles per hour hit the bus

[@demanischaffer]

@L And for context A vehicle moving at 70mph moves around 103 feet *per second* Meaning every 5 seconds the train travels around 513 feet The railway crossing also had been modified to give less warning time due to an error

[@avreefausnaught5769]

“Was it solely the driver’s fault?” Pretty much yeah

[@edwinmonforte2952]

I feel it was

[@user-fh3tu9yy9z]

I read this the moment he said that but yeah I agree.

[@MicheallikeMJ]

But... red means stop.

[@firstnamelastname6016]

@@MicheallikeMJ more importantly, never stop on train tracks…

[@MicheallikeMJ]

@@firstnamelastname6016 Idk man. I wasn't taught that in high school.

[@bibbo3167]

The fact that she didn’t even notice the alarms and gate THAT HIT THE BUS

[@Mary-bd9vu]

RIGHT!

[@chloegibbs7204]

Oh and the kids literally screaming “TRAIN”

[@reddrenched6074]

1. The train signals 2. The gate hit the bus 3. The train horn 4. The kids screaming train Absolutely no excuse

[@lostinspace8521]

@@reddrenched6074 AND SHES STILL A DRIVER UGH

[@nancyhess7301]

Yet she didn't do jail time or get fired. Got to retire that's sick

[@sallyj632]

Kids: "TRAAAAIIIIIINNNNN!" Driver: "I'm confused."

[@chattanoogahardcorearchive]

She gonna be really confused when that train hit her

[@Jeb-n8f]

Kids Train move out the way driver nobody shut up it is pretty cool if I'm but there's not there's a train poo poo poo poo poo poop

[@nataliemonroe3031]

@@blobbie1458 Exactly, that didn't seem right to me as soon as they said it. Like if the kids yelling *"TRAIN"* didn't get her attention, then the loud horn and vibration from the train should've got her attention. Plus, if the kids were pointing in the direction of the train, she could've looked in the direction and saw the train coming.

[@Svettanka]

@@Jeb-n8f Speak English, damnit

[@hannahhypee7100]

Honestly!!! What the hell! Something isn't right here. If that ain't the most common sense thing, this could've been easily avoided.

[@15KHPCLUB]

I remember this story from driver's ed. My instructor used this as a case study to teach us why it's so important to make sure we don't stop on railroad crossings.

[@mombiethezombie7536]

I’m a bus driver in Illinois and one of my former co workers from a different job had a child on this bus. Her kid lost a very good friend because he saw the train and started throwing other students towards the front when it was hit and he was killed. Her story about this day stuck with me and it made me a better driver. If you can’t do it safely, don’t do it.

[@ambermullenax8186]

That should be every driver’s motto… unfortunately that is not the case.

[@dem0000]

Thank you for keeping them safe! In middle school we went over train tracks every ride and also on the highway, plus it was a 45 minute bus ride. My bus driver NEVER missed slowing the bus way down, opening the door, looking thoroughly both ways down the tracks, then continuing. She never missed doing that, not once. I am thankful for her skills those many years ago!

[@thedirtyblondie]

No one knows if they can do it safely though. I'm sure this driver assumed she was good and safe, too. That's the flaw of humanity. Everyone thinks they're smart until they end up killing a bunch of kids.

[@mombiethezombie7536]

@@thedirtyblondie there is actually a saying in bus driving that says if you can’t do it safely, don’t do it. In training the number one thing they make sure we know how to do perfectly is railway stops. We do them over and over so much that it’s not uncommon for us drivers to try and do them in our cars when we aren’t at work. I’ve seen trainees not even get a chance to become drivers because they can’t do a railway stop correctly. There MUST be plenty of clearance for the bus to make it across. This driver should never have tried to go over these tracks.

[@Lily_of_the_Forest]

That young man was a HERO

[@3Authoress]

That poor engineer. I can only imagine the pain he went through just before the crash when he realized he couldn't stop in time, after the accident hearing the number of dead and injured, and during the hearing as he relived the tragedy. I hope he knows it wasn't his fault and that it likely would have been so much worse if he hadn't done all that he had by managing to slow the train down as much as he did. Bless his heart.

[@weeney56]

Oh yea He would feel so bad. But I hope he knows it wasn’t his fault

[@lordarkay272]

He'll never be the same again but I hope he understands trains can't stop on a dime that bus driver should've moved been more aware when you cross a train track you watch your ass front and if you have big ass bus you gotta remember that

[@aidynsbestyoutubemoments]

Ikr

[@Thunderbolt_1000_Siren]

I agree. That'd be my worst nightmare if I was an engineer. I'd rather collide with a freight train head on than hit a school bus full of children doing 40mph with no way to stop in time.

[@aidynsbestyoutubemoments]

Thunderbolt 1000 Siren Productions I agree

[@tatum5747]

These kids were expecting a totally normal day. This puts it into a chilling perspective how any day can be your last day.

[@Starito-dorito]

I totally agree

[@SethStovallVO]

There was this girl I knew that passed away at the age of 15 because her boyfriend was driving around 115 or 120 mph in a 65 mph zone and lost control of the vehicle because of the speed. Despite the fact they both had their seatbelts on, the reason why it didn’t save the girls life was because she was ejected from the car. The car going downhill and spun sideways which caused the car to split in half. The driver was lucky to be alive.

[@kawaiiunii1719]

@@SethStovallVO oh my god! im so sorry for her D: fly high

[@2735angel]

Bro u tryna sound so wise

[@stephaniebeaton]

So true, my ex (wasn't dating at the time of his death) died in his sleep and was only 18, just got back from a party that night and died of an aneurysm. Nobody knew it was gonna be his last day

[@jay3368]

I seen many comments wondering why she was never charged with anything. The fact that the crossing was in fact deemed designed incorrectly, it puts the county/city in a bad spot more than the bus driver in legal context. However, I do feel something was very off about her not being able to notice the train or the crossing signal hitting the bus TWENTY FIVE SECONDS prior to the train approaching

[@joemama-ej7kw]

At some point she should have just used common sense and broke the law a little to save those kids

[@jthedon420]

@@joemama-ej7kw not even braking the law it’s saving your life

[@Rocco-tb9ih]

@@jthedon420 yeah it's not like a cop is gonna pull you over saying "Hey ma'am, sorry but you saved the lives of these children and ran the red light while in that train crossing back there, I'm gonna need you to step out of the vehicle."

[@That_Guy_Ty]

Not to mention the blaring horn from a train, those damn things are so loud, and they don’t normally use those unless they have to, at least in my experience

[@joemama-ej7kw]

@@That_Guy_Ty I think they have to use them when they cross roads

[@granddukeofnuke-chester]

I feel like common sense would kick in to move....you have all those students saying go, and the train horn. At that point I'd fucking go even if it was a red light

[@Wifgargfhaurh]

Driver should've been charged with manslaughter

[@psychonautics4205]

She won a Darwin Award for this shit lol

[@kennythetrend3688]

@@Wifgargfhaurh Definitely negligence.

[@Cynthia-il8ju]

My mother is a school bus driver and she told me that they should take the red light when on train tracks

[@florjanbrudar692]

@@Wifgargfhaurh Bus or train driver?

[@kerrybyard5408]

no matter what, you never stop on train tracks

[@NorDank]

What if you are a train conductor?

[@quadrakyiro]

@@NorDank lol

[@vincentrosario5358]

@@NorDank not quite sure it works like that....

[@michaelwebb8158]

Some crossings like that even have a sign that says NO STOPPING ON TRACKS or DO NOT STOP ON TRACKS.

[@neverstoplearning7214]

Or run on / near them

[@Trojans175]

Interesting fact: After the incident, Fox River Grove renumbered their ambulance to 657, the 7 has angel wings on it signifying the students that were killed

[@BrianOmegaWolf]

What's the significance of the 65?

[@justanormalbird8302]

@@BrianOmegaWolf *yes*

[@jaysmith1408]

Brian omega wolf if i can make proper sense of identifying units in McHenry County, they are station 6, and ambulances are in the 50 series. So a FRG ambulance would be 650 something, this just happened to be their seventh ambulance.

[@trafficjon400]

many things happen to the human mind with such tragic happenings.

[@BrianOmegaWolf]

@@jaysmith1408 oh ok

[@shotsbylars]

Wow. I graduated from this high school in 2020, and lived only about 5 minutes from where this occurred. I've crossed these tracks at that exact intersection hundreds of times and this hits extremely close.

[@aviraider]

So it was claimed that the driver was 'devastated' however she continued working in the school district-transportation department until retiring? How devastated could she have been if she continued working around school buses for another 9 years? Putting the bus in that situation alone should have seen to her termination.

[@DiamanteDea]

She is very suspicious

[@Abandonsoyciety]

We let women get away with anything nowadays so why are you surprised.

[@DiamanteDea]

@@Abandonsoyciety nowadays? Nothing new.

[@ro-chan9519]

@@DiamanteDea sus

[@ItsCaduceus]

She didn’t drive any buses afterwards. While I agree that she should have been charged and terminated (definitely should have been, even if it’s an accident it’s still manslaughter and negligence), I don’t believe anyone who says she wasn’t devastated. As someone who has worked in a long term care home during covid, I saw 38 residents die without being able to help. It’s something that makes it hard for me to work everyday, but I keep going; I can only imagine that’s similar to how she felt

[@tyheclayton473]

I prefer running a red light getting a ticket waiting on train to hit me

[@cat1554]

99% sure they can't ticket you for that.

[@hamtrak_p42dcamtrak67]

Yeah you won’t get a ticket unless a Karen sees you for running a red light about to be hit by a train

[@cooltina789]

Getting hit by oncoming traffic or getting into a wreck will probably save more lives than waiting at the stoplight after crossing the tracks like that

[@Joel-cu7tn]

Kids: *Screaming DRIVE GO FORWARD, TRAIN COMING!* Bus Driver: *Patricia was confused by these quotes*

[@drpsionic]

She worked for a school. Of course she was confused.

[@voszvaivaldtkoszikovokh6418]

My intuition is that she felt like the kids were trolling her so she reacted slow intentionally

[@coryhoover01]

You can tell who has never been on a school bus

[@andreww3278]

@@coryhoover01 who

[@voszvaivaldtkoszikovokh6418]

@Caleb Baggett yeah, but do note, i might be entirely wrong

[@s29nv1sr1]

This took place pretty close to where I live. It was pretty sobering to hear this story in middle school before our bus safety lesson. May all those children rest in peace

[@NGMonocrom]

So she didn't even spend one day in jail for her blatant Negligence. That's just disgusting.

[@Nothingtoya]

Nope and she got to keep her job....

[@NameName-yj7lp]

no way she didn’t see the train NO FUCKING WAY

[@melodysmusicaladventures596]

That’s despicable

[@Markustajahoyrylaiva]

would it help anyone?

[@cooltina789]

There was so many different circumstances and they did investigate it but due to all the circumstances that played into this specific scenario, there's just not enough evidence to build up for that case. She didn't have the proper skills for the position she was forced to be in and the train is known for doing what it does. This incident will save many lives now going forward from it and onward due to the change in bus routes and hopefully the change in how they stop at railroad lights. However, I absolutely agree, it's horrible and so much could've been avoided

[@beeninthisfandomlongerthan9500]

This tragedy really is so awful. Really gets under my skin with how avoidable it was. Like what was the bus driver thinking... I know the kids on that bus had to be screaming their heads off! 🤦🏽‍♀️

[@andyknightwarden9746]

Bus driver: One at a time, I can't hear all of you at once. *Bang*

[@wiskersharper8646]

It was a accident so cut some slack

[@ussarng4649]

All the clowns playing the continues loop of students screaming and driver not figuring what they were screaming about so obviously have never had to try to figure out anything under those circumstances.

[@starblack9374]

@@wiskersharper8646 She could have easily moved tf

[@thenickstrikebetter]

The kids were unanimously saying to move because of train and then the driver was like: "nah im confused at english" and then a bunch of innocent kids died. 270% their fault.

[@abdulklappstuhl633]

Kids : *Screams* Theres a train coming! Bus driver : I'm sorry kids, but the light is red

[@Mrgrumpypants84]

Ever try to listen to what 10-15 people are screaming? Especially hyper kids on a school bus?

[@buddyhirshfield5970]

Abdul Klappstuhl Never stop on the railroad tracks

[@evemarifam9147]

Abdul Klappstuhl I would got up sock the bus driver and open the door in let everyone get out . She was devastated my ass.

[@GiordanDiodato]

@@Mrgrumpypants84 ever try to make a left turn on a busy freeway?

[@TDKn1ght]

Herrera family you can do that in 20 seconds?

[@sairo...]

so the woman taught “safety” huh? Ironic,

[@analytics_1514]

Saw a PSA announcement. It went like “A train will stop. Only a mile after hitting you.”

[@bigsmilie07]

Seen that smh

[@inainterstate6884]

CSX has a tag line "when its you against the train, the train always wins"

[@jspr_mrz]

more like CRUSHING you (look at how damged the bus looks 0-o but thats for some reason funny to me XD)

[@capitalcorruption7398]

The bus driver was the main cause since SOMEHOW she couldn't hear what the hell was going on when kids were screaming "GO!"...

[@caboose.20]

Another passenger in the front seat stated in the official report that he too didn't realise the train was going to hit until it was right on top of them.

[@N30m3g4]

Not to mention THE TRAIN IS COMING!

[@yuniktatat]

She's 54.

[@ramairgto72]

Yes, if I heard kids screaming "GO" "TRAIN" "GET OFF THE TRACKS" "IT'S GOING TO HIT US" and everyone running to the front of the bus, ..................................................................... well crap I would have to start with things like "Rabid Weasels" , "shark", "ice cream truck" "UFO" "gay Rights"... and that dam train horn would be messing with my concentration... EDIT: 1 or more of you are morons, I thought I would say that i'm not being serious.

[@Elite459]

Yeah I guess so

[@parkysparks]

my stepmom was a bus driver for the same district when this happened. she said it was such a huge tragedy that they changed the entire bus driving qualification system for the whole state

[@xandykkaudy8252]

Yet they still allowed the women to continuing driving the bus

[@xandykkaudy8252]

@@frothyz I'm tired of the gender political police, that's why I was moving aggy. My bad

[@frothyz]

@@xandykkaudy8252 my bad as well, have a nice day

[@StonedSammieSue]

@@frothyz you seriously thought he was talking about all women and not the one that was driving the bus that killed several children? Since is the nicest thing someone could call you after trying to start shit over nothing

[@frothyz]

@@StonedSammieSue bruh this convo literally ended 3 hours ago. i already said it was my bad and i misread it since they accidentally used a plural form? ur the one starting shit here lmao

[@cfd514]

I grew up in this town hearing this story, and passing through this intersection practically every day. We have a tribute outside of our high school dedicated to the children that passed. It's so tragic, and there have been so many train accidents since. Please be alert around trains no matter the situation.

[@Thunderbolt_1000_Siren]

It scares me how oblivious people are around trains. I've seen numerous moron drivers nearly hit by trains be it either by car or bus and the "quiet zone" crossings just to please rich crybabies are increasing the yearly death toll.

[@quinnschepers9150]

@@Thunderbolt_1000_Siren if you need any proof, on June 27, 2022, here in Missouri, a dump truck driver proceeded through a railroad crossing without stopping, causing a collision in Mendon. The collision caused 4 fatalities, including to the dump truck driver. This is why I am cautious around all railroad crossings. I actually drove through Mendon just 16 days before that, crossing over a bridge on state highway 11 that goes above the railroad tracks, allowing for cars to pass above trains. The intersection where the collision took place was located on County road 113.

[@cfd514]

@@Thunderbolt_1000_Siren no literally it's insane. Just recently, one of my sister's friends passed away in January when she was hit by a train while walking to school. It was foggy and she didn't see the second train coming from the opposite side. And I know people around my age who have lost limbs because of similar accidents. Part of it comes from living in an area with so many train crossings, but there needs to be a bigger emphasis on safety awareness around trains and just better safety measures in place to begin with. The quiet zones are absolutely insane to me. People are so selfish to prioritize comfort over the safety of others.

[@matthewwallace2787]

"There's a train coming!" "We're on the tracks!" *excessively loud train horn* *screeching of train breaks* "Move forward!" * Is still confused on the scenario, and decides to do nothing *

[@mk6315]

Matthew Wallace she didn’t even lose her job. Bet she could start a gofundme about this shit now

[@henryhill3778]

That's way she was supervisor and made sure she got that retirement !

[@kellyhyland8504]

The kids: GOOOOOOOOO THERES A TRAIN GONNA KILL US! the bus driver: no, I don’t care, all I want is money.

[@arihernandez2680]

Justice needs to be served, wonder if this case can reopen with testimonies from the students. This is a horrible fate to the kids

[@nathancorcoran5347]

@@kellyhyland8504 Train: You need to move I don’t want to kill them.

[@Mel__21]

It was her fault. 6 seconds the light turned green. With all that commotion I understand she got confused but she still should have kept her eyes ahead on the light. She would have realized the light had turned green for her to go.

[@SraTacoMal]

Don't forget, since they were all screaming at once, and she didn't know she was on the tracks, she probably couldn't tell what they were screaming about, but that it was urgent. The natural instinct in that situation would be to not move until you figure out what the problem is, and there just wasn't the time.

[@memesarekeem]

@@SraTacoMal It is common sense to stop before the train tracks, and school buses in particular are ALWAYS required to stop before the train tracks, whether one is coming or not. It is the driver's fault, and the driver should've been charged for the obvious negligence.

[@GunGoose22]

@@memesarekeem at 3:14 its said she did stop and check before crossing.

[@JohnJigsaw420]

@Simply Ari because there wasn't enough space between the light and the track for the bus. If she got off the track she would be in the intersection. Its partially the city planner's fault and partly the drivers fault.

[@abilea4081]

I don't blame her for probably being turned around to see what the kdis were screaming about but that should've been enough to make her move forward regardless of the light

[@CattyMintgum]

That is scary as hell, Imagine being on that bus...

[@walter5745]

True

[@btssugamylove9431]

Master Sashimi I would be the ded one XD

[@ryanchannel8485]

Master Sashimi if I was on the bus I would be saying that’s the f**king flyer get the f**k out of the bus the Metra coming in so fast

[@RyanTheHero3]

I would’ve gotten off quick af

[@dareredsen9392]

Why didn’t the kids move to the front of the bus? I’ve always wondered that. Couldn’t they see it coming right for them?

[@jennyferrios5298]

The sole responsibility of a school employee is the safety of students first and foremost. This is truly sad. 🥺 My heart goes to the families.

[@jennyferrios245]

Classy and above all safe. Miss Perfection!

[@christineegan465]

My stepdad was a railroad engineer and you'd be surprised how many times a year they'd be required to go to mandatory counseling following some committing suicide by train. At least three or four times a year.

[@alexiabarnes5371]

@@ssunii7891 no the train drivers are required to do counselling from witnessing someone else committing suicide by train

[@Viople]

My grandfather was a train driver before he retired, he witnessed 2 suicides by train. To this day he's still traumatized by that ;-;

[@mp00507]

@R Carpe bruh what? seeing someone die let alone multiple people die is very traumatizing.

[@minawashere8575]

@R Carpe There's still trauma every time. Someone died because they jumped in front of something you were driving. Even though it isn't their fault, they will still feel like that.

[@ipdipdu]

In my country there’s a 3 strike rule. Given therapy and compensation for the first 2 suicides in tracks. By the third the driver is given a severance package and is no longer allowed to work as a train driver as it’s too much for them.

[@Henry-mt1tq]

"But the bus driver didn't understand the screaming and was confused!" My God. I hope my ignorance and stupidity never ends up causing a completely unnecessary tragedy like this. Simply because one FOOL couldn't us her brain 7 children died.

[@billdougan4022]

She's a safety supervisor and didn't want to be fired for breaking a safety rule. So... Seven kids died.

[@billdougan4022]

She retires with a pension at the cost of 7 lives. If she ran the red light, she would have been fired = No pension.

[@RagavJanardhan]

@@billdougan4022 would you rather be fired or kill 7 kids? 1st choice is most peoples answer. She should be fired anyway, seeing that she is a safety supervisor and she did not preform the right steps at a crossing. Stop the bus just before the tracks open the door and check both ways. Then proceed to cross

[@university-666]

@JUAN VIEYRA What would I do? The same thing I always do around railroad tracks....... not fucking stop on them.

[@395203502]

@@billdougan4022 She didn't even need to run the light! Theres huge patches of grass either side of the road, she could have just veered off. She would have cut off the other lane a little bit but better than the train tracks.

[@connormason7907]

This would've never happened if the driver just pulled up past the stop line and into the crosswalk

[@shishkebab5624]

What a nonce

[@Mrgrumpypants84]

I dont think so, there isnt much room before you're going into route 14. If traffic is moving there isnt really anywhere to go. I lived right behind the station and am very familiar with the intersection

[@chellesama8256]

@@Mrgrumpypants84 Better a crash with a lower speed, lower mass car than a high mass, high momentum train going full speed.

[@Thunderbolt_1000_Siren]

I'd imagine there'd still be a tiny bit of overhang on both the intersection and the tracks though. large size buses are very hard to maneuver.

[@Emeraldthefox1]

The driver's negligence should've gotten her jail time. Or to lose her job at least.

[@backroomscataloger]

so screaming teenagers gets your attention but not *A FREAKING 70 MPH TRAIN?!*

[@TheGamingCapybara.]

@@backroomscataloger I think you underestimate the loudness children can get in distress

[@AJS37_Viggen]

no dad??

[@MichaelLovely-mr6oh]

I'm surprised the driver didn't face seven counts of Accidental Homicide.

[@deidara7834]

"The crossing was badly designed," Nah fam, that driver WAS.

[@laurenanderson7330]

I mean the crossing was badly designed

[@tedgrowney8981]

@@laurenanderson7330 Agree.

[@ReversePrimeOFFICIAL]

Lol the light turned green before the impact

[@laurenanderson7330]

@@ReversePrimeOFFICIAL doesn’t mean the crossing isn’t still poorly designed

[@ReversePrimeOFFICIAL]

@@laurenanderson7330 that problem shouldn’t have costed lives.

[@youraveragedemomain4241]

Gate arm: slaps back of bus “This bad boy can fit so much fear in it”

[@RNG_Lemon]

this deserves more likes

[@rebekahlps6842]

i made this 69 likes

[@maggielong8779]

😭

[@earthgreatspirt6633]

BikerGuy99 lol that slap tho

[@jamieohjamie]

The way this guy narrates that part is hilarious. "SLAP THE REAR END!" "A commuter train with no way to stop AS IT HEADS TOWARD YOU!" "Sounds like quite the nightmare, huh?"

[@smoocifilms6169]

This comment is edited, now you’ll never know why it has so many likes.

[@someidiot420]

*the train doesnt dismiss you i do*

[@smoocifilms6169]

@@someidiot420 😂

[@thesage4183]

@@someidiot420 but it did dismiss them

[@manuelnovela5980]

@@rain8758 not funny and this comment is disgusting

[@rain8758]

@@manuelnovela5980 Ok? You did nothing.

[@MrYeet-nm3rb]

Omg this nearly happened to my bus when I was in 1st grade. Exact same scenario you described in the beginning. It was terrifying but luckily our bus driver floored it and got out of there. Could've easily not been like that but I'm glad it went the way it did

[@nightxgeorge.]

im happy that you lived to tell the tale god bless all of the 1st graders who could have had their life cut short

[@8ball576]

I’d like to give the driver a pat on the back he/she actually thought this could save our lives

[@inmypjs1426]

@@8ball576 a pat on the back for not being confused.. anybody with common sense would’ve known if kids are screaming and you can hear a train from miles away, to drive the bus out of the way.

[@DanTDMJace]

@@inmypjs1426 alright guys read the pinned comment.

[@inmypjs1426]

@@DanTDMJace Okay I agree now that it’s not the bus drivers fault, I didn’t think about the fact that she obviously heard the train but she probably thought she was off the tracks since it was the back of the bus. Thank you for pointing out that comment

[@stevensadowski1]

The driver is 100% at fault, never stop on the tracks is common sense.

[@krashd]

She obviously didn't know she was on the tracks.

[@Nyctophiliac.]

@@krashd It doesn't take a rocket scientist to hit the gas when you hear kids screaming to go and a train barreling towards you with the horn blaring.

[@moonlightbae6699]

@@krashd the kids were yelling at her to move her dumbass didn’t

[@demanischaffer]

@@Nyctophiliac. Not if you're not sure what's going on Any reasonable person would assume the engineers designed the intersection correctly, the logic would not be that the intersection has a fatal flaw which allows long vehicles such as trucks and busses to be in the strike zone while waiting on the light So if you're a bus driver who assumes they're in the safe zone, and then all of a sudden are getting yelled at by tons of people, that decision making is hard It's easy to say "I would've done it differently!" 26 years later with all the information avaliable at your fingertips

[@krashd]

@@Nyctophiliac. What does that have to do with her initially stopping? The OP's comment was "never stop on the tracks" and I refuted that by saying she didn't know she had done.

[@craigr.h.laurent240]

That bus driver was a SAFETY SUPERVISOR and she clearly violated every safety precaution she'd learned and that she had taught others. That driver left part of her bus across the track. As a result, seven students died, and the surviving students were affected for the rest of their lives. I lived in Palatine at the time and I knew that crossing well. The newspaper articles at that time tried to place the blame on the train. There were numerous factors involved including Fox River Grove's traffic department failures. That bus driver should have been terminated, but she was allowed to work for another five years!

[@worldclasstraveler3530]

I agree, like, dont the school bus have mirrors??? I always check to make sure my tail is nowhere near the tracks!

[@TheHandgunhero]

Alexandra Marberry If you can’t judge fucking distance, don’t drive a bus. She broke the law by NOT reacting in any way, shape, or form. You are permitted to overshoot intersections, or drive through them by the law, if it is the only way to safely stop. She was NOT safely stopped and would have physically heard the train horn, the boomgate striking the car, the screaming and warning from the kids and the crossing sirens... AND EVEN THEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN BEFORE THE COLLISION AND SHE DIDN’T REACT.

[@MrThegreatest97]

Is it White Privilege ?

[@darioguerrero2580]

If it were up to me, I would’ve fired that damn bus driver for negligence and man slaughter from the train instead of letting her continuing work

[@diannalarson4626]

@@alexandramarberry1023 As a bus driver, and especially a Safety Manager, she should have known the length of the bus, and the clearance she would have had. We are trained to know the length of the bus. I have gone through that crossing myself in a big yellow school bus a few times. It is one of the scariest crossings I have ever had to go through. If in doubt, do NOT proceed is what I have always taught when training new drivers. There were many factors to this particular incident, so the driver may not wholly to blame. But a majority of the blame does rest with her because she didn't pay attention to the length of the bus and the clearance that she had. She also didn't stay focused enough to keep a watch on her mirrors, and let the students' yelling distract her. That alone is a recipe for disaster.

[@vlad-igor]

I know this is crazy but kids always listen to your gut, in any situation when your mind tells you, get out of this place, leave this area, you go. Don't stay or listen to any authority figure because you know you don't feel safe, I actually was shocked to find out the kids didn't actually at least run to the front of the bus, they all sat at their places.

[@lightnightsky]

This reminds me of the tragedy that occurred with that South Korean Ferry where there's literally videos of students joking 'isn't this where people die when they decide to listen to authority instead of rebelling?' while it was sinking and because they listened to authority, they died :(

[@DubbViews]

Finally the comment I was looking for! I totally agree I wouldve ran to the front of the bus or the rear exit. There is just no way the driver couldnt hear those kids I mean I bet at one point the whole bus load was telling her TRAIN GOO

[@kaleycooper9111]

I would’ve ran to the front and shoved myself into a seat. How could the seniors just sit there while watching the train about to crash into them?

[@legendarybubbles4567]

@@kaleycooper9111 Apparently some of the seniors at the back WERE pushing kids forward trying to save them. Even though it resulted in their own death.

[@unbiasedcritic3075]

I agree , anytime I get that bad gut feeling I always trust it and leave . Can’t tell you how many times it’s gotten me out of situations that went very wrong

[@Zulimi2]

I had a fellow bus driver once get talked to for running a red light. They simply said "Safety First, it turned red without warning and I am not leaving my bus on a train track."

[@Hunter12396]

>Drive bus over train tracks and immediately stop >Hear the ding ding start and the lights start flashing >Hear the gate arm thump the top of the bus >Hear the train horn >Hear kids start screaming to move the bus and see them trying to get out >"this is fine"

[@randymarshprofessionalfarm5818]

Problem no way im a safety supervisor red means stop

[@looeychewy]

Hunter12396 cOnfuSed?! WhY stUdenTs are sCreamiNg?!!

[@TheShadow_2023]

Hunter12396 suicidal safety supervisor

[@idaho6533]

(Chuckles) I'm in danger.

[@samiam619]

jake Red does NOT mean stop if you are on a RR crossing.

[@Random.Channel_]

How do you get confused from a train horn gates and people yelling move there’s a train coming

[@Thai8521]

old age

[@WesternOhioInterurbanHistory]

4:10.

[@haweyorashid3839]

stupid bus driver with low reaction rate.

[@andreww3278]

@GOD AMENRAH no it was old age. Not less brain power, less awareness and slower reaction time.

[@Thai8521]

Yo wtf why does this comment has 8 likes wtfff let’s goooo daggg

[@sajnabegum8494]

guys, its been 25 years since this tragedy happened, we gotta pay respects.

[@cheesestick9100]

@Junior Johnson for the students

[@kasonsharber9831]

Me pays respect Then proceeds to make jokes about it right after

[@rp7326]

The bus driver should pay for her crimes.

[@lavalampdrinker]

alot of these school bus crash videos proves that it really doesn't take that much experience to become a bus driver

[@100SubGoalByAugust23]

I do. Not trying to be mean.

[@gordonramsay5187]

“was it the drivers fault?” yes. it was quite literally ALL her fault.

[@Em-._.-]

The crash itself? Yes. The conditions that lead to the crash? Not entirely. These specific kids dying could have been stopped if the bus driver hadn't been so inexperienced and, honestly, dimwitted. With the bad design, though, it was bound to cause a tragic accident at some point

[@generalprincecodyhedgewolf2944]

Driver is a Huge Disgrace to the Road and the school

[@cameronduff884]

This could have been almost any school bus driver, there is a kind of goodie two shoes syndrome at work, the average driver doesn't really know how long their bus is....shorter busses?

[@coleallen3895]

4:16 - the kids were literally shouting “TRAIN!” and told her to move, but she ignored them and instead, perceived this to be a student misbehavior crisis. If this catastrophe happened in California, the bus driver would have been arrested and faced criminal charges for vehicular manslaughter. That carries a penalty of 5 years in state prison for each person that died and with 7 people being killed, along with reckless endangerment, the driver could have been sentenced to 36 years behind bars! (And she would still be in prison right now if that happened)

[@pokedude720]

@@coleallen3895 Keep in mind that it all happened in 20 seconds and many people shouting all at the same time makes it so that any one thing is hard to come across, if any. Clearly she knew something was up, but she didn't know if it was a medical emergency, the kids bring loud, or warning her of the bus being on the tracks. Also, as Thunderbolt and the NTSB investigation said, the light only changed ~6 seconds prior to collision, giving her little time to react even if the message did get up to her.

[@TravelWithGus]

Everyone: “GO, GO, GO!” Bus Driver: “I don’t understand “

[@Confectionerry]

Was Siri driving that bus?

[@vivians9392]

I think at age 54, that menopause had set in for her, and she just couldn't react under stress! Period. However, she could certainly LIE..."`There was a car in front of me!"....

[@indoserica4714]

kids thers a train we need to go bus driver no kids go go go bus driver i don understan what you guys kids train is gotta kill us bus driver where kids look bus driver holly shit train driver ged out the way Train crash now in haven kids you are idiot bus driver idiot

[@innocent4103]

@@Confectionerry lol siri

[@my12spoonswithrose43]

@@vivians9392 what does that have to do with anything

[@confettiveda2460]

"Was it solely the driver's fault?" Yes. When the bar hits the bus and everyone starts screaming in fear, yes.

[@hillarygonzalez4266]

No, poorly designed intersection combined with a bad bus driver and unintelligible screaming is what caused the situation.

[@eis6570]

@Apple E no, hilary was also pointing out the badly designed intersection, so yeah, they also have a point.

[@potato1341]

@@eis6570 it was badly designed but when people are screaming "GO" cause you're about to be hit by a train, she should've gone. Unless the school bus itself broke down, hearing "Go there's a train coming" is MORE than enough of a sign that she needed to move.

[@eis6570]

@@potato1341 also true

[@SonOfYoutubers]

@@potato1341 Yeah but even 3 people screaming something at once is unintelligible, still definitely the driver's fault, but also terrible design.

[@Phoenixthebest]

6:40. Definitely Drivers fault, who stays there if they're stuck on track and waits for death. Shouldn't they immediately evacuate the whole bus? Man, having a new person handling jobs like buses, and medical feild is terrifying, this is giving me reasons not to trust newbies.

[@kimberlyhoward4940]

All she had to do was move forward rather she hit a car or not.

[@Phoenixthebest]

@@kimberlyhoward4940 right? And if she didn't know how for whatever reason. She could've evacuated the kids

[@kimberlyhoward4940]

@@Phoenixthebest drove buses for 5 years blow the the horn and If the car doesn't move clear the intersection and push them in the middle while blowing your horn. The district would rather replace a car

[@domagoh8381]

I would rather pass the gate and red light then take any chances of my vehicle being on the tracks

[@Phoenixthebest]

@@domagoh8381 same

[@RutRowBryce]

you telling me after this event she stayed at that job for 5 more years, retired, and moved away from the state where she murdered 5 children? wow

[@Big_Bag_of_Pus]

Did your post seem to you like something an intelligent person might say? Because it wasn't.

[@ClearTrackSpeed]

I feel so bad for the engineer of the Metra. He felt guilty in the NTSB hearing, but there's nothing he could have done.

[@detroitdiesel-vu3ig]

My brother used to be a conductor for CSX and that was his worst fear; to hit someone. He hit plenty of deer and other animals and there is nothing you can do. Especially with a freight train, they just won't stop in time.

[@ninyaninjabrifsanovichthes45]

And this was just a passenger train, which is considerably lighter than a freight train. If a passenger train couldn't stop in time, there's no way in hell a freight train could either.

[@equarg]

Unitedforever First day of drivers ed...had 3 train conductors come in and BEG us to not race trains, and to not park/stop on tracks. I was so moved emotionally I swore to NEVER be stupid around train tracks. Some of the kids thought it was funny, I could sense the sorrow the guys felt telling their stories. What hit me was how train conductors have an extensive therapy network because this happens so frequently.

[@stevenbaker470]

Yeah, I was a firefighter years ago. I left to join the military. Catlett Volunteer fire company Catlett Virginia had an incident where their fire engine was struck by a North bound CSX train on an unguarded crossing. The driver pump operator was at fault but the train Engineer was at first blamed. But as far as I know he never got over the deaths of four firefighters. Two weeks later at the same intersection a bunch of dumb teenagers were killed by lying on the track. The fact that the crossing is unguarded to this day is what is to blame. NTSB finally cleared the engineer after several years. This happened Oct 19 1989

[@jaimefrick5499]

Unitedforever sadly they see so many deaths and I forget what month but it was summer time my cousin killed himself he jumped in front of a train

[@justchilin4277]

John's neck snapped and he choked on his own blood he was my moms friend but good thing my mom is alive this day!

[@davdid691]

what a uplifting and nice ending, the emotional whiplash was impeccable

[@BKayProxie12345]

It's the best to know that there was survivers I bet your mother is a strong woman

[@earthbarnes6694]

I know that Conductor was devastated

[@earthbarnes6694]

I imagine the bus driver and train conductor lives were changed forever i hope they had support groups and therapy to get through...

[@ceruleanc505]

@@davdid691 🤣

[@snowboardman420]

I lived in Fox River Grove at the time, I was in 5th grade when this happened. I knew a few kids in my class who lost a brother and sisters. I will never forget that day.

[@shamrockkisses83]

*Woah* *shook* ur lame af

[@samhesketh]

*Woah* *shook* Oof

[@44nt]

*Woah* *shook* bruh moment

[@comengsh]

Man, that must be really heart-breaking...

[@jake_dev1046]

I live in uk but my dad remembered this and told me

[@sabrinaali2833]

I’ve always wondered why my bus driver stops and open the bus doors to see if there’s an incoming train when it’s a green light for us and cars beside us go. Now I know why

[@ericspencer8093]

That procedure is much older than the 1995 accident. My bus driver had to do it every day back in the 1980s.

[@scottdowney4865]

DOT Regulations require it

[@mikematson6323]

We do it to ensure the tracks are clear. Also never know if the crossing will malfunction.

[@Nikkiashipp218]

It's required, my mom was a school bus driver.

[@notkevinbro5451]

Sabrina Ali ya my bus does that and we’re all supposed to be silent but there’s tons of hispanic people in the back who just keep talking and playing music then pretending they don’t understand english and ignore the bus driver 🙄... even though we’ve all heard then speak english before. Yeah... My bus is a nightmare

[@notbismarck4181]

Which is more important? 7 lives or a $500 dollar traffic ticket

[@OrigenalDarkMew]

the traffic ticket... is not.

[@Autumnettey]

You don't understand though. She was confused because she was looking back at the kids to see why they were screaming and it was the poor setup of the light and stuff. I mean, who the duck puts a light over a fucking train track?

[@ellasworld4214]

Autumn Marie ikr

[@ellasworld4214]

Well she could have ran over pedestrian or cars while running the red light so it’s not that easy

[@chrisarjona4885]

She probably would not have gotten the ticket because you tend to have to explain to an officer about the reason why you ran a light. Most officers would understand the situation.

[@ccarrtterr]

Kid: there’s a train! The driver: the train doesn’t dismiss you, I do.

[@spongebobmiscellaneous]

Omg 😬 I shouldn’t be laughing!

[@irxyqll3585]

The train dismissed them alright

[@dustbag5669]

Neal Ruhl “i mean you’re not wrong but you didn’t have to go there”

[@Mrs.Hoxha_ESL]

Bus driver should have listened to the kids on the bus

[@toastii7769]

The wheel of the bus go round and round all through the Town or thought a train Sry

[@dianastephany2374]

Who in the hell ever thought that this stop light situation was ok? Whoever it was should have been fired and charged with the result of this crash. It’s on their shoulders.

[@carloslagunes6415]

Crazy how I went to this high school and the memorial In front has always been respected.

[@iyanubanks100]

Oh wow 🥺

[@Utonian21]

as it should

[@sygos]

We're not Africa yet

[@polskabalaclava]

@@sygos ?

[@anitamensah8854]

Awww🥺that’s so sad honestly

[@thedemolitionmuniciple]

"There's a train coming!" "Patricia LastName was confused by the screaming."

[@vermillvexx]

TheDemolitionMuniciple Quote unquote. “CONFUSED”

[@markguisasola9972]

Look I get that because it was a rowdy crowd on my bus an we screamed at our bus driver one day cause she was backing up an hit the ditch ..yea she was older but she act like she wasn't understanding us either .. confused she was ..it's sad period no one would need this on them the parents the driver the community..

[@MrBarksdale149]

Patricia was not confused by the kids but by her loyalty to traffic laws ....

[@hackerman1752]

Kid who pretended that he had fever to stay home: God is with me?

[@ijnmikasa7604]

*Lucky*

[@savinggrace9844]

He always is 🙏🏾

[@aspieangel1988]

That happened when I was in high school. I suffered from psychosomatic illness my senior year and often faked being sick due to being bullied at school and I was out for two weeks due to this. During those two weeks there was a shooting on my school bus and I wasn’t there and my brother was actually sick that day and thankfully nobody was killed or injured because the driver managed to call the police but i thank God everyday I wasn’t there.

[@tomjohnson4253]

Wow

[@JavaCake]

This is horrible but, I KNEW I SHOULD HAVE STAYED HOME TODAY

[@SecondCitySanctioned]

I went to school here, there’s an area in the front to honor the 7 victims. My mom also went to school at cg. One of her friends was a victim that day. Every year, atleast when I was there, they’d hold a little memorial for them around the time of the accident. It’s a wonderful school and community to be apart of. Some of my absolute favorite moments where inside those school walls, and that’s coming from someone who’s not a fan of school. Its a shame that this tragedy took place, but the community keeps the spirits of those who passed alive and I hope that continues.

[@loreoflilytu]

She wasn’t arrested for child endangerment? Really? When the light turns green that means floor it.

[@Union4014]

bruh

[@jd_kreeper]

Never stop on railroad tracks.

[@devvydoesstuff]

@Skool Skits lol wdym the train car bodies extended 3 feet into the sides not the wheels

[@michaellovely6601]

I'm surprised that the driver of the bus in the Fox River Grove tragedy wasn't tried for seven counts of Accidental Homicide. Even though she had no intention of killing the students; they still died and the blood of the students killed in the disaster is on her hands.

[@pegs1659]

@@michaellovely6601 Yeah and we have the black semi truck driver who was not impaired in any was hit a school bus and didn't kill anyone, he did injure a few kids, and got 20 years in prison.

[@jasonf2024]

The driver should have gotten charged, could easily have been negligent manslaughter, was entirely her fault. She completely ignored the gate sirens and lights for 20 seconds, the gate hitting the bus (guess she doesn't use her mirrors), the train blowing its horn, the light actually turning green and the kids yelling at her to move, unbelievable.

[@Metalmanparts]

There were contributing factors, but it's the drivers fault. You don't stop any vehicle on the train tracks, especially a bus full of people. Check the drawing at 7:43 her choice was block the train tracks or block the cross walk and she blocked the train tracks.

[@TeslaChan]

it was her fault. She didn't listen to the kids telling her the train was coming. Don't try to sympathize with her. She should've moved forward or backward. She had 20 seconds to move. That's enough time to move forward or back.

[@averygrier8993]

@ike fun *Its the timing so I couldn't see*

[@sideswipebl]

No, Jason is right. Since everyone was yelling the same thing (“GO!!”) Patricia should’ve been able to hear them. The light was green and a train’s horn right next to you would be impossible to ignore. She probably thought the kids were talking about a person in the bus who needed to “go,” and only realized it once it was too late.

[@ramrodnj]

ike fun multiple factors to me this was 1% new buss 1% new route 98% oblivious moron that on top of all the visual and auditory warnings she couldn’t figure out when the entire buss full of children were screaming bloody murder and literally trying to get off didn’t tip her off

[@isaiahcollins3150]

Imagine being a “freshie” contributing to saving your life

[@nebadapeba2712]

damn freshmen

[@Velticus]

If he hadn't been so proud and forced someone to the front, he would be alive. Sad

[@stevenglansberg4448]

@@Velticus How is that? He would have sat in the back either way.

[@Danimalsfan]

@@stevenglansberg4448 maybe maybe not. People will do stuff they don’t want to for popularity

[@xandeath75]

Imagine everyone screaming for you to go and you're just like "huh?"

[@caperailproductions]

How can u clearly hear what's going on if everyone is screaming???

[@cheeseburger4647]

Imagine how the dude or woman that was controlling the train feels after knowing that they just took a whole bunch of kids life's and they couldn't do anything about it and they just gotta live with that I'm praying for the parents who's kids died

[@g4dior307]

@R Carpe it was that piece of shit bus driver 100%

[@alejclip712]

@R Carpe well yeah everyone knows that. But the guilt when taking someone’s life is insane. Even if you know it isn’t your fault

[@Mary_Lee2395]

He may feel bad but it’s not his fault.

[@cordeliachase601]

The conductor put emergency his breaks on and blew the train horn. Nothing else he could do besides that. It’s the drivers fault and she should have just stepped on the gas and moved up… the ENTIRE scenario was in her hands.

[@wobuawouba]

@@Mary_Lee2395 it is.

[@CHMin-cl5wi]

Could you imagine being the bus driver that called in sick which started this butterfly affect of events which resulted in said accident ? I couldn't even try to understand the guilt they feel unless they were a sociopathic driver that hates their students

[@Azucenary]

They couldn’t have known this would happen. Must be horribly racked with guilt

[@bsgfan1]

Sorry, but that’s just dumb. Why would the original bus driver have any reason to feel guilty? They were sick. If you’re sick, you stay home. Only a sociopath would blame someone for being sick. The only person who should feel guilty was the substitute bus driver who got several kids killed.

[@Eowyn126]

@@bsgfan1 I don’t think they’re blaming the driver that called in sick. Just saying that the driver might feel guilty after doing so when something so terrible happened that could’ve been prevented (perhaps by them). The sick driver of course has no reason to be guilty, it wasn’t their fault, but human emotion isn’t always rational.

[@elcocho1568]

@@bsgfan1 it’s self guilt. No one is blaming the sick driver

[@TheRandomVaper]

@@honeqq Yeah I can understand feeling bad because you knew the ones who died, but the the fault 100% lies with the moron driving the bus, not the driver who called in sick. Nothing sociopathic about it, if the sick driver doesn't feel guilty (it had fuck all to do with them)

[@theelementofstupidity2665]

This is 95 percent the bus drivers fault... none of this is the engineer's fault The other 5 percent is the people who designed the crossing

[@ayewhyyoumadbro2032]

Plunger Boi and the traffic light

[@unknowna.k.a2797]

aye why you mad bro oh, hell no, it wasn’t the traffic light’s fault. It’s supposed to turn red when the train thingy turns on. And the light EVEN CHANGED BACK TO GREEN like 10-15 before the accident, and the driver still didn’t move. Wtf.

[@longhairlegend3126]

True dat

[@celticsprods]

Plunger Boi Productions what about the other 5%?

[@snowlover1037]

No, it's the traffics lights fault

[@ns6438]

It's so weird to see all these places that I grew up by in a documentary, granted a smaller one, but still. We have a tribute to those seven kids in front of the High School that I went to (Cary-Grove High School).

[@Mafia_Boss_Donut]

Fun fact: what this bus driver did was a mistake that is taught to every diesel mechanic and truck driver. Even I was taught it in my diesel class. Make sure there is enough space between the railroad crossing and the road crossing before attempting to cross and turn

[@imtherealone.6268]

Fun fact: this is also taught in drivers ed, it's not exclusive to every diesel mechanic or truck drivers, it's people who drive in general.......

[@david-468]

@Hannah Lee well that sounds like a waste of time because of you drive and don’t realize or care that you are stopped on tracks you don’t deserve a license in the first place it’s kind of common sense

[@david-468]

@@imtherealone.6268 I think he was saying it’s taught in diesel mechanic/truck driver courses because it’s literally the exact same certification to drive a bus (CDL) so she should’ve been more aware

[@dylanburns8759]

driver should have went forward even if it meant hitting someone elses car. the driver was just incompetent

[@NL-rj9uk]

That is SMART Teaching.

[@rqwe8943]

I swear can bus drivers hear when the kids are saying “Move” “There’s a train coming!!”

[@brookelewis1442]

Rqwe Apparenly not, but they can hear a cuss word said in the very last seat 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@alysteln672]

Yeah me too.

[@oliviasmith2768]

Yup that makes so much sense they can’t hear that but they can here you say someone cuss soooo smart

[@chadhickey9527]

She had to be deaf. I work in a building next to train tracks and can hear these horns blaring over top of our machines we drive at lease a half mile away before they go by. I am sure she was supposed to stop look down the tracks and know there was a train approaching. She should have waited or when she got to the other side know that she had to move out of the train’s path.

[@nordlywilson3822]

The driver thought he was a genus letting kids die

[@jenniferking4682]

I remember when this happened. I lived in the southern suburbs of Chicago. This was such a horrific tragedy that shouldn't of happened. And this is why buses have to stop open their door and look down the tracks before proceeding across them. Also in my area at least if there's a light close after tracks you have to stop before tracks until light changes green.

[@tessa7778]

Ohh this is the reason buses have to stop and open their door at train tracks 🥺🙏

[@blue_lancer_es]

I was in Tx in the early 90s and busses did this. Before this accident.

[@tessa7778]

@@blue_lancer_es ohhh gotcha

[@TrueKrystvl]

@@tessa7778 the reason buses have to stop at tracks was because of a case in Sandy, Utah 1938. The driver and 23 students died. The Carrollton crash of 1988 led to more emergency exits on all school buses in Kentucky. The bus they were on was made before 1977 and there were only 2 exits. This was a very horrible case, research at your own risk.

[@tessa7778]

@@TrueKrystvl 😢 okay will do. Thank u for the info

[@alishahaupt3584]

I live right near here and remember when this happened and my mom talking about it. This is so tragic. I was actually just at this crossing a short time ago for my grandpa's funeral and we discussed this horrific incident....it hits so much more when you see the real footage and hear the reasons why this unfortunately happened. Good jobs this video and all the details on this

[@fishyfishy6675]

Students: THERES THE TRAIN COMING!! Bus Driver: You kids and your stories!

[@reddatyoshi3773]

Bus deiver: *sees train after looking to the side* oh shi-

[@liamgough683]

He was an idiot

[@tickogrey5846]

@@liamgough683 *she

[@JessePorkman]

YOU YOUNGSTERS AND YOUR FANCY VIDEO ARCADES

[@default6504]

@@JessePorkman your comment reminded me of the home alone tape recorder thing I bet she was like *stop that recorder*

[@chiffon11828]

*the train doesn’t dismiss us, the red light does*

[@Globin1111]

And that’s when you take the lives of innocent children because you wanted to listen to the damn light instead of the children and adults screaming GO.

[@makaylalozada6749]

RIP every one who got killed :(

[@elijahharvey01]

😭😭😭

[@faruren]

R.I.P the bus -_- ×_× /_/ ÷_÷ +_+

[@HaystackaSNKRS]

💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔

[@michelemaxwell7744]

😢

[@uncleleo6706]

F

[@syr1ana]

there’s a reason you’re not supposed to stop on the train tracks while driving no matter what you’re driving

[@Cabinet_Juice]

Idk why this popped up in my recommendations but I’m glad it did

[@TiberianFiend]

I've been watching a lot of plane crash stuff, so maybe that's why I'm here.

[@thesauciestboss4039]

Tiberian Fiend thanks for reminding me, now I’ll watch plane crash videos

[@billbolor9142]

It’s cuz KZbin recommendations suk

[@mm-ky6xv]

Tiberian Fiend same

[@RogueRipple]

I remember this day like it was yesterday. I'm from the area and i was friends with a few of the kids on the bus. R.I.P.

[@margaritab.9848]

I’m sorry for your pain. This is a very sad story. I think sometimes some bus drivers that are picked to transport children are careless. And innocent lives are in their hands. 🕊 RIP to all of them.

[@earthgreatspirt6633]

Stolzie J I’m so sorry😥😥😥😥😥

[@timnewton9610]

Sorry for your loss bro I was 11 years old when this happened

[@catalinaaguilera649]

feel bad for ya

[@chopperchopperchopperchopp4897]

I would rather hit a car than hit a train but maybe that’s just me 🤷‍♂️

[@youknowimright1725]

Bitch no, thats common sense, you right, I would've done the same, ANYONE whit COMMON SENSE would've moved the fuck outta there

[@orbeezeater]

It’s not just you. And good job, that’s how you know your IQ is higher than 5. Because a part of our survival instinct is weighing two bad options and seeing which one will leave us less fucked. A car couldn’t do any severe damage to a bus, but trains demolish almost anything reasonable that’s in front of them. And she chose THE TRAIN??

[@ayoubnn1811]

@@orbeezeater and there wasnt even a car, there was only 1 bad option and that 3as to not move

[@KeybladeMaster64]

Chopper

[@arbysregionalmanager7032]

You wouldn't notice being hit by a train, you'll just become a red mist. Just watch a video of a deer being hit by one.

[@desertdweller4951]

No matter what excuses you find the simple fact that the dust driver did not move is disgusting. The possible collision by vehicles would always be better then a freaking train. PERIOD!

[@teresar6348]

And she kept her job after all that!

[@youdreamproductions]

“She was confused” WTF IS SO CONFUSING ABOUT A BUNCH OF KIDS SCREAMING “ there’s a train move!!!”

[@hunterrussell9263]

Well kids on a bus can be genuinely confusing when they’re all talking but I’m more caught up on the safety arm slapping the bus, the fucking train horn which is UNREASONABLY loud, the guy in the car behind them, and the fucking track signal. Idk. Absolute moron.

[@jknMEMES]

She must have been an old ass semi blind lady, since she also retired 5 years later

[@oshura2506]

About 30 kids all screaming things at the same time makes it impossible to make out what anyone is saying

[@ticketyboo2456]

@@jknMEMES no she didn't have that excuse, she was only 57

[@Orangeflea1]

I don’t know what’s the matter with you people. This isn’t a moral failure, you all just think every time something bad happens it’s because the boomers are out to get you.

[@shannontansy1419]

The fact she was a safety supervisor and failed terribly on that day should have been another red flag to her employers.

[@Yodumeee]

Typical. The government sucks at pretty much everything

[@coolspider295]

She wasn't fired and was later promoted too....

[@moonberry4191]

@@coolspider295 What the hell, that's just messed up. She should've gotten fired and given some jail time.

[@coleallen3895]

If this catastrophe happened in California where I’m from, she would have been arrested and charged with 7 counts of vehicular manslaughter for all the kids that died. In CA, the penalty is 5 years in state prison for each person that died, which means at least 35 years behind bars for her

[@jimaviation444]

@@moonberry4191 No, she was CONFUSE when the students were screaming and she couldn't understand them.

[@uhlijohn]

I am a retired engineer (former CNW) and I still remember that accident. I also remember seeing a forlorn Wisconsin Div. engineer, Ford Dotson, who I did not know personally but saw often at Proviso Yard or at M19-A (the servicing diesel ramp for commuter locomotives) testifying before some board of inquiry and you could just feel the anguish Dotson experienced when he realized what was about to happen but was helpless to stop his train in time that was moving so fast. RR crossings are dangerous folks....do not ever cross when the bells are ringing or gates are down. Like the old saw goes, "It's the one you don't see that usually hits you."

[@Thunderbolt_1000_Siren]

Oh yeah as I said in the video he was literally in tears on the podium recalling his inability to stop. A school bus full of kids in your path is the worst nightmare of almost any crew... I seriously hope he's doing ok wherever he is now. I can't imagine going through what he did.

[@myturbanizdurtee9159]

Such A Terrible Tradgety...My Brother-in-Law Was The Cary Fire Chief At That Time, He Said It Was The Worst Call He Had Ever Experienced Within His Entire 35 Year Career As A Firefighter...

[@mauv-ei4ef]

@Hgyvtfygyhuh Ygihvutctvnininnin Learn grammar jackass.

[@tilabryant2948]

Mytur Banizdurtee stop lying 🙄

[@frogg5949]

Disgrace. learn to spell.

[@jcdenton166]

@Hgyvtfygyhuh Ygihvutctvnininnin He has spoken clear and intermediate English though? fuck off you asswipe

[@Kae.McFadden]

This is so heartbreaking, imagine being at work to later get a call that your child had died, especially when it could of easily been prevented if the driver had been paying attention. God bless the families who’s children got injured or died. 🙏🏼

[@shoeniceawareness6139]

imagine imagining your imagination

[@talentlesscommenter1329]

Imagine being a child and realizing that you are dead.

[@demanischaffer]

Or know that this type of thing has almost happened many times however nobody decided to do anything until a train hit something

[@backroomscataloger]

@@talentlesscommenter1329 imaging being the bus and realized you are dead

[@EugeneHerbsman]

I cant stop blaming this lady. Even if there was a car in front of her she could have turned the death of kids into a minor fender bender. Blaming the traffic lights seems insane to me. They are literally just lights. If you're going to let a red light stop you from saving lives that is almost worse then just being confused. Traffic laws start to become arbitrary when it comes to moments that require better judgment to avoid catastrophe. Its like saying you cant get out of the way because the line wasn't dotted between the next lane while a truck is coming at you.

[@HieronymousLex]

Lack of intelligence

[@louisg7147]

Because in a situation like this many people don’t have much time to think and are put under stress and confusion. You are talking after the facts, you have time to analyze this, but put you in the same situation and there’s a big chance you would have acted the same. The intersection design on the other hand is a massive flaw, where people had the time to think about the layout yet still made it this way. It should have been longer or the lights should have been placed before the crossing

[@kijahowen2n464]

@@louisg7147 This is true. However the guard rail hitting the bus should have been all the information she needed to react appropriately. Paying attention to your surroundings is vital when driving. The flashing lights, the guard rail, the train’s wailing horn (there’s no way a cacophony of teenage screams can drown out a train’s horn) and even the truck driver behind her (that likely honked) were all key indicators that something (a train obviously) was approaching. She allowed her confusion to dictate her ability to react and obviously wasn’t competent enough to drive a bus full of kids. However the most important thing to note is that the light turned green 6 seconds before the train hit. If there was a commotion in the back of the bus unrelated to the train the hitting, her priority would have been to get the bus to a safer position then handle the commotion. Her deciding to stall in traffic to figure out what was going on in the back of the bus was the final nail in the coffin. Simply put she had poor judgment and was not fit to be a bus driver.

[@Samantha777love]

@@kijahowen2n464 the thing is she wasn't a bus driver, she was still pretty green when it came to it. If she had more experience she may have been able to recognize her mistakes as she made them

[@alexandervecris1679]

@@kijahowen2n464 She was paying attention to the children screaming, which distracted her from the green light.

[@HeavyRescue1267]

Thanks! This video is one of the greats!

[@HeavyRescue1267]

It’s about to be 29 years since this happened. (Saying this on September 17th 2024. (October 25,2024) If Thunderbolt has time next year, I was thinking maybe a remaster on this documentary.

[@lz1604]

if i was the kids in the back..i would have just ran to the front? or told her to open the door theres a train. Also this lady clearly must have something wrong with her.

[@gary27]

LZ kids shouldn’t have been screaming over each other

[@ungabunga7879]

But think. This is what mostly everyone was trying to do. They were all stuck in the back

[@SetsunaTheAngel]

You underestimate what 39 voices yelling at you can do. If you can't get the gist of what's being said all you hear is the noise.

[@posilly8564]

LZ I mean you got like 2-6 seconds right?

[@heytherehellothere974]

LZ I would of just opened the back door and tell everyone to exit the bus ASAP!

[@bluecollarden]

As a school bus driver, this hits home. Such an unfortunate accident. I think in my training this accident was mentioned during our train crossing section. Such an important reminder to be so aware during rail crossing.

[@Thunderbolt_1000_Siren]

I can only imagine. I also feel so bad for Catencamp since she had no idea her bus hung over the tracks and the fact IDOT screwed her with a badly designed intersection and finnickey traffic light. I'm just glad it was the tail and not the middle like another accident in 1972

[@goldenfloof5469]

There was another accident in the early 70's? Please tell more.

[@averygrier8993]

Thank you

[@bob_the_builder_gang8947]

Or not to hire retards to drive buses

[@peesadface]

Blue Collar Den DON’T LET THE FURRIES NEAR THE KIDS

[@westonleeder144]

How do you not realize there is a train coming after all the kids are screaming “THERE IS A TRAIN COMING!”

[@BrandzX93]

im a kid in high school and let me tell you something. I go to a trade school for half of the day and im usually sitting in the back of the bus with noisy kids. They get so loud that the bus driver has to tell us to quiet down but we cant hear him.

[@GiordanDiodato]

you wanna go into a busy highway at a red light?

[@markkyle676]

Good old drinking while driving with kind on the bus

[@coolgirlfrozenfeet]

They were probably all screaming at once, but not in unison. It’s hard to hear what people are saying when there is a lot of noise.

[@arkfr]

HEY I’m weston

[@drbob3]

The day after this horrible accident, a similar intersection in my town in New York State was reconfigured. The traffic lights were moved to other side of the tracks so that traffic would have to stop before the tracks when the light turns red.

[@charthesmile]

Kids: *MOVE MOVE THERE’S A TRAIN COMING MOVE!* Patrica: *Whats a train?*

[@palerider2143]

Wait what is a train

[@palerider2143]

@charles cliven's girl HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW

[@palerider2143]

@charles cliven's girl NOBODY TOLD ME ABOUT THIS TRANSPORTATION TUBES

[@palerider2143]

@charles cliven's girl no u shut up

[@adamchmielewski6162]

@lil girl behid purple guy @Pale Rider Both of you shut up