Alton Bus Tragedy Anniversary Reminds Us All to Drive Carefully

Today marks 29 years since the Alton bus crash that killed 21 people and put 50 in the hospital.

On September 21st, 1989, kids had just finished loading onto their school buses on their way to another day of school when the breaks on a Dr. Pepper truck failed. The sudden brake failure resulted in the truck hitting a school bus and sending the bus off the road and into a pit filled with water.

Despite quick action from first responders and witnesses to the crash, the bus eventually sank leaving the 81 people in the bus little time to escape through the windows. 21 of the 81 on board died including 18 students between the age of 12 and 18 years old.

Coca-Cola-owned the delivery truck at the time and ended up paying out more than $144 million in damages and settlements.

On the anniversary of this tragedy and with school recently starting and inclement weather it's wise to remember to drive carefully on the roads. Leave plenty of time for yourself to get to your destination so as to leave no need to rush. Remember to stop and wait for kids to get on and exit school buses and always slow down in school zones. Overall, drive safe and just be mindful of other people on the road at all times.