GRAMMA'S HOUSE

There was a terrible bus accident near Cottonwood, MN, this week. Four children were killed when a van driven by what appears to be an illegal alien with a MN ID card with a name apparently not hers driving without a license, going through a stop sign and slamming into the side of the school bus. I well remember our bus accident. I found the scrapbook I have kept all these years. The pages are faded and tattered and I decided time to scan them into the computer. In looking at them again I cannot believe no one was killed. I used to be able to "feel" the bus bump the railing, hang on the edge, then go over the edge. But time has erased that memory. I doubt if I could have told you any of the details after the accident. I think there were some of us that were unconcious for a little while. Can you imagine there was no 911. Someone had to drive to Lewiston to let the school know the bus had gone over the bridge. There were no trained first responders. There were no safe way to get children out of the bus. Someone used a shovel and broke a couple windows out. Children then climbed or were helped out the window. Even some who had serious injuries were just picked up and put in the back of a vehicle. Most of us walked up the hill to Beach's house and waited in turn to use the phone to call our parents. Mom drove over the bridge and when we got in the car she wondered where the bus was. She didn't realize it was at the bottom of the creek. We were not allowed to cross the bridge again and had to go the long way home. Later that evening she took me to Winona where I did have a fractured collar bone. Terry and Tom did not even have broken glasses. We were indeed very lucky.