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Student Dies In Fiery School Bus Collision

The Associated Press

About 20 people were aboard the bus when it was struck from behind by a tractor-trailer. One student was killed.

The Associated Press

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 24, 2008

CITRA - At least one student died and eight people were injured Tuesday after a tractor-trailer rear-ended a school bus in an accident in West Central Florida, authorities said.

About 20 people were aboard the bus, and authorities thought all of the students had been accounted for, Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Pat Riordan said. Both vehicles caught fire after the crash, which occurred on U.S. 301 near 155th Street in Marion County. The name and age of the dead student had not been released.

Six students and both drivers were taken to area hospitals with injuries that were not life-threatening, Marion County Fire Rescue spokeswoman Heather Danenhower said. The bus was transporting students from North Marion Middle School and North Marion High School.

The entire cab of the tractor-trailer burned, and the back of the bus had flame damage.

Jim Yancey, Marion County's superintendent of schools, told the Ocala Star-Banner that at least four bystanders entered the burning bus, rescuing children from the flames.

"I'd say they probably got half the kids off the bus themselves," Yancey said. "They were showing more grief and remorse from not being able to do more."

Lauren Scott, who was at her mother's farm nearby, said she and several visitors heard what she first thought were gunshots, only they were too powerful.

"We were looking at each other like 'What the heck was that?'" she told the newspaper. "We walked over behind the house and saw this smoke, very black smoke."

This month, a chain-reaction crash southeast of Tallahassee involving a school bus, minivan and cement mixer truck killed an 8-year-old girl and injured seven other children and the van driver.

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