Amy MacKenzie: But what about the bus driver’s efforts?

A New Salem man is facing charges after his vehicle swerved into the path of a school bus carrying Quabbin Regional Middle High School students at 7:15 a.m. March 28 on Route 122, causing the school bus to lose control and strike a guardrail and some trees. Just one of the 52 students aboard was taken to Heywood Hospital as a precaution. BARRE POLICE DEPARTMENT

Published: 04-01-2024 5:44 PM

Modified: 04-02-2024 11:45 AM

It was a relief to read that all students aboard the bus in Barre that was crashed into by a car are unharmed. It’s heartening to hear that the Quabbin Regional School District praised administrators, first responders, and students for handling the situation so well. But wait! There is an enormous, glaring omission of the key and essential player: the bus driver!

This person handled the situation from moment one. They called for assistance, assessed the well-being of every child, and followed every protocol that he or she had been trained to perform in such a situation, and throughout, remained calm and reassuring. The school bus driver did what is the bottom line most important part of a bus driver’s job: they kept our kids safe.

Amy MacKenzie

Greenfield