Washington school bus breaks down on road

WASHINGTON — A school bus carrying kids home from Washington to Brighton broke down on its route Feb. 2, according to law enforcement and school district officials.

Washington school district Transportation Director Woody Harden said children were on the bus at the time it broke down. After a roughly 10-minute wait and transfer to another school bus, the students back en route.

Harden said the propane vehicle was up-to-date on its maintenance, which the district performs every 5,000 miles. Its last trip to the shop was Jan. 5, less than a month prior.

“We make repairs as needed based upon maintenance reports that drivers write up as problems arise from their daily inspections,” he said. “As with any kind of equipment, buses can quit working at a moment's notice. However, we have quite a reliable fleet with minimal breakdowns per year.”

A police report said the bus was left unoccupied and off the roadway with its hazard lights on awaiting a tow truck Thursday afternoon, which Harden said was provided by Tri-State Towing.

Harden said he suspected the cause was a broken fuel pump, but could not yet confirm it. With the vehicle out of commission for now, the transportation director said the district still had enough vehicles to meet its needs.

“We do have spare buses to fill in when other buses are down,” he said. "We usually can conduct our daily business and cover our trips. Some days, it is staffing issues rather than equipment issues when we have to make alternative plans to cover all our transport needs.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com