A fatal accident in Washington State involving a Malaspina Coach Lines bus from Powell River hit a little too close to home this week.
On Tuesday morning a fiery crash on Interstate 5 near Seattle left one person dead and another injured.
The bus driver, a 48-year-old Surrey woman, had just dropped off a group of students and parents from Chatelech Secondary School at Sea-Tac Airport. The group from Chat was boarding a flight to Hawaii for a band trip.
The bus driver was making her way back to Canada when she was involved in a two-vehicle collision with a sport utility vehicle. Washington State Highway Patrol are still investigating the cause of the accident.
The bus driver was listed in stable condition in hospital with minor leg injuries. The driver of the SUV, a 64-year-old Everett, Wash. man died at the scene. The bus driver was the only person on board the bus at the time of the crash.
Chatelech vice-principal Ann Skelcher was naturally concerned when news of the accident first broke, but was reassured when more information became available later in the day.
"None of the kids knew about the accident," Skelcher said. "Some called their parents from the airport and on the plane to say they had arrived safely and were excited about the trip."
