Railroad Cleared, Re-Opens following Bus-Train Accident

ATHENS — The Union Pacific tracks where a train hit an Athens ISD bus on Friday afternoon have been cleared, according to the Athens Daily Review. Damage is being repaired, and more details about the incident may be released over the weekend, police Chief Buddy Hill said. “We don’t have any information yet to release that was different from last night. Rail crews worked through the night on clearing the track and making sure it is safe.” A middle-school boy was killed when the bus driver tried to cross the track at Cream Level Road. “That was the impact site,” Hill said. “He was ejected from the bus.” An elementary-school girl was pinned inside the bus and had to be extricated, the chief said. Neither the children’s names nor that of the driver have been released.

Just after 4 p.m., the train collided with the bus at Cream Level Road and pushed it about 1,000 feet to near Murchison Street. The girl was airlifted to Children’s Hospital in Dallas, and the driver was taken to another hospital. When first-responders arrived, the driver was standing outside of the bus, Hill said. Investigators believe he did stop at the crossing at Cream Level Road, as required by state law. The track at Cream Level Road has no crossing arms or signals.

On Friday night, shortly after Athens ISD and police officials conducted a press conference at the district support center, many residents gathered for a prayer vigil at First United Methodist Church in Athens. On the school district’s Facebook page, a commenter posted that “in support of Athens ISD and their recent bus tragedy, Murchison ISD asks that all students and staff wear maroon on Monday.”