Bus driver ticketed in crash
The Van Galder bus driver involved in Friday night's crash on Interstate 90/39 was ticketed for following too closely.
Dennis Laws, 54, of Beloit was driving a school bus full of Craig High School football players and coaches at about 5 p.m. when he realized that traffic in front of him had stopped. He braked but was not able to avoid hitting a Pontiac Bonneville driven by Teresa M. Vicars, 46, Clinton. She in turn collided with a car driven by Heather N. Schewe, 22, of Sun Prairie.
Those crashes caused another series of collisions. A semitrailer truck driven by Steven R. Moore, 44, of Black River Falls, rear-ended a tanker truck driven by Kevin J. Hansen, 28, of Alberta, Canada.
Nancy Sonntag, school bus manager for Van Galder, declined to comment on whether the ticket would affect Laws' status as a school bus driver.
"Any disciplinary measures we take are not subject to public disclosure," she said.
School bus manager Sheryl Miller told The Janesville Gazette on Friday that the bus sustained only minor damage.
Initial witness reports indicated the semi driven by Moore was in the left lane and had to swerve to avoid hitting the school bus, which also was in the left lane.
But Moore and Wisconsin State Patrol trooper Mark Dolin indicated the semi was in the right lane and hit the rear of a tanker truck straight-on in the right lane. Moore, who has worked as a volunteer and professional firefighter and a volunteer and professional EMT, said he had a few seconds to make a decision.
"The bus passed me in the left lane, and then I saw the puff of smoke up ahead, and I thought, ‘OK, here were go,'" Moore said in a phone interview from the Gulf Coast, where he is vacationing with his wife and grandson.
He slowed, worked the brakes and made the decision to hit the tanker straight-on to "push it straight ahead and try to maintain some control."
Swerving would have knocked the tanker across the road into the left lane where the bus was. It also might have caused his truck to jackknife, Moore explained.
Moore, who was carrying a load of roofing shingles, estimated that his truck weighed about 77,000 pounds.
Dolin confirmed Moore's story.
Dolin said he, too, had talked to parents who said their kids said the truck swerved to avoid the bus.
"I said, ‘Well, no, that's not the way it happenned,'" Dolin said.
Craig football coach Bill O'Leary said Moore got out of his truck and immediately said, "I'm an EMT. Is anybody hurt?'"
Moore wanted to thank the members of the coaching staff who helped him with the tanker driver, Kevin J. Hansen. Hansen was admitted at University Hospital but has since been discharged.
Dolin said state law requires school buses and semis to be 500 feet behind the nearest vehicles.
"But everybody knows that it's next to impossible on the Interstate to maintain that distance," Dolin said, because people pass frequently and weave in and out of traffic.
Oct 7, 2008 at 3:01 p.m.
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There were no initial comments made by me to any member of any press until last Tuesday, when the Gazette called me for information. And yes, I was on vacation starting Monday after the accident. Nothing fishy about anything. Here's the scoop... I was traveling in the Right lane when the accident started in the LEFT lane. I struck the truck ahead of me to avoid the chance of hitting the bus or someone else who may have been beside me. I didn't swerve at or for anything. My thought was to keep both our vehicles in the same lane to avoid further involvement by anyone. I exited my truck, made sure there was no fire danger, and proceeded to check on the conditions of the others involved and render care as needed. My concern was only for the safety of the scene and the condition of all involved. No more, no less and certainly not attempting to be a hero. I can't believe how this stuff gets so twisted from the truth. Why is there so much speculation?
Oct 2, 2008 at 12:32 a.m.
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I know Dennis. I rode on his school bus in the mornings from my home in La Prairie every day for two years. He always made sure the students were behaving and seated while he was driving (even pulling the bus over a few times to make misbehaving children stay seated). Mind you, I was one of six high schoolers on a bus full of middle schoolers.
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If he was partially or fully at fault here, then shame on him. But we all make mistakes, and I know he's a good driver from personal experience.
Oct 1, 2008 at 9:45 p.m.
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".....but made sure reporters knew how to find him."
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Perhaps they just called the number which was listed on the accident report.
And just maybe that number was his cell phone....
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That was a tough one to figure out....
Oct 1, 2008 at 9:26 p.m.
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I recall the initial article quoting the driver, Moore state that he was behind the bus, swerved to avoid the bus and chose to hit the other semi instead. This article contradicts everything the Gazette reported first and the drivers statements. Looks like Moore went from hero to zero. Sure went on vacation quickly, but made sure reporters knew how to find him.
Oct 1, 2008 at 8:19 p.m.
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I've been on many of school field trips. Yes, these bus driver do push it too close. I know that there are deadline to get these students to the destinations on time because of loading on the bus too late. I remember when my daughter was in Kindergarden and noticed on I/90 by Edgerton that the traffic was stopped ahead and the bus driver was still go at regular speed. I did say to another teacher "Is he going to slow down" We told all the kids to hold on and held on to children next to us. Yes, here's the brakes all of a sudden the children went flying. I do feel these bus drivers are pushed a little because of pressure in the DISTRICT..... If the bus isn't back on time this costs the DISTRICT more money..
Oct 1, 2008 at 7:35 p.m.
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Was it a motor coach or school bus? Their coaches can out run the school buses
Oct 1, 2008 at 5:36 p.m.
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As for being in the left lane ..............nothing at all wrong with that ....................if the left lane weren't meant for vehicles to be on it, they wouldn't have built it in the first place.
Oct 1, 2008 at 5:29 p.m.
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At least nobody was seriously hurt.
Oct 1, 2008 at 5:08 p.m.
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Mistakes happen everyday! Dennis is a great driver and has been driving for many years (30 some years) he had never had so much as a scuff mark on any of the buses he has driven. As for the Van Galder Bus speeding, Right! We couldn't do that if tried. We are governed and can not go over 67 mph rolling down hill with a wind to give us a push.
Oct 1, 2008 at 4:51 p.m.
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In support for Dennis... He is one of the most dedicated drivers. Everybody is making it that he is a madman.
BartSimpson: you are talking about the Coaches they have to drive like that to keep with the flow of traffic and also they are governed (they can only go so fast). If they were driving at a snail pace you would be complaining that they were going to slow
Oct 1, 2008 at 4:49 p.m.
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But ilovehockey, don't you know by now that janesvillean knows absolutely everything about absolutely everything. His purpose is to enlighten, so maybe someday we can all be blessed with his vast degree of knowledge. Never a day, and seldom an article, goes by that janesvillean doesn't think he needs to explain to us
Oct 1, 2008 at 4 p.m.
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Janesvillean, I believe my post does state Van Galder/the insurance company. However, if damages run over the insurance companies limit, it will then leave Van Galder open. And I disagree that they ticket does not mean anything. When each insurance company looks for who to contact for "reimbursement", its going to be the person who got the ticket.
Oct 1, 2008 at 3:22 p.m.
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Wouldn't the insurance companies pay for the damages anyway????
Oct 1, 2008 at 3:03 p.m.
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Thank goodness for the split-second judgement and skill of the semi-driver!!
Oct 1, 2008 at 2:54 p.m.
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thurty30, I'd rather the bus be in the left lane in that area anyway - the on/off ramps going to and from Newville are a nightmare.
It's hard to fault the driver when I know the interstates are full of morons and idiots who never leave enough space for vehicles they cut in front of. I avoid I-90 at all costs.
Oct 1, 2008 at 1:18 p.m.
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1. Why was the bus in the left lane?
2. Being in the left lane close enough to rear end another car put all passengers in danger.
3. Why was the bus in the left lane?
4. It would have been a different scene if the semi was in the left lane also.
5. Why was the bus in the left lane?
6. I have noticed on more than one occasion a bus exceeding the speed limit and passing on the interstate,and this time he just got lucky.....
Oct 1, 2008 at 1:12 p.m.
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ilovehockey, the ticket doesn't change whether anyone else has grounds for a lawsuit. Usually such things are settled between insurance companies, anyway.
Oct 1, 2008 at 12:37 p.m.
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What this does is open up Van Galder for lawsuits. Because the bus driver was ticketed, therefore at fault, the other vehicles involved will be able to come back to Van Galder/their insurance company to cover all the damages.
Oct 1, 2008 at 12:21 p.m.
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truth1- Where in the story does it say the bus driver was attempting to go faster than other cars? Maybe I'm just not reading it right......
Oct 1, 2008 at 11:48 a.m.
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"Dolin said state law requires school buses and semis to be 500 feet behind the nearest vehicles.
"But everybody knows that it's next to impossible on the Interstate to maintain that distance," Dolin said, because people pass frequently and weave in and out of traffic."
Well I have to agree with him there. I try to keep a few car-lengh distance between me an the next car, and someone always seems to think its a great place to slip into.
I'm glad they got the facts of this accident out. People can stop assuming what happened now.
Oct 1, 2008 at 11:27 a.m.
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From the story, it appears the bus driver was attempting to go faster than all the other traffic and caused the incident.
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This is what I understood from what I read
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This is important information to know for anyone interested in what happened.
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Oct 1, 2008 at 11:04 a.m.
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Many of us wouldn't have been driving a bus. I agree it's difficult to maintain 500 feet but there's a good reason that buses and semis are legally required to maintain a greater distance. Personally I wondered if any tickets were going to be issued and the story answers that question as well as clarifies what actually happened. Fortuanately no one was seriously injured, the vehicles can all be repaired and everyone can go on with their lives wiser for the experience. Unfortunately many accidents of this nature result in far more serious consequences.
Oct 1, 2008 at 10:53 a.m.
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I think the story was to squash any rumors that the bus was almost rear ended by a semi. Families feared for their kids after hearing how a semi also squished them. I thought it was good that the gazette and State Patrol set the story straight.
Oct 1, 2008 at 10:31 a.m.
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I'm not sure that this information warranted another news story. Damage to the bus was so minor that when a fireman pulled the fender, the bus was able to be driven back to the garage. None of the students or staff was hurt. Why should it be anybody's business if the driver got a ticket? Many if not most of us have driven an interstate at that time of the week and would've maintained the same distance he did. I don't think the discrepancy in the story of the truck driver needs newsprint either. He avoided the bus and then offered assistance. The results of his actions were pretty positive to say the least so let's put the accident behind us like the team did when they decided to play Friday night and move on already.
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