Band Director Saves Charter Bus After Driver Passes Out

By San Francisco Limousine Specialist on March 29, 2013

A high school band director who recognized that the driver of his band’s charter bus was unconscious is being hailed as a hero after he acted quickly and brought the bus safely to a stop. The bus was transporting the band from Parkway North High School near St. Louis, Mo., to Florida, where the band was scheduled to board a ship bound for the Bahamas. According to reports, the charter bus was one of three transporting band members in a caravan on an interstate near Atlanta, Ga., early on the morning of March 14 when the bus suddenly began traveling on the rumble strip.

Band director Mark Linn was sitting near the front of the bus and noticed that the driver was slumped over in his seat. Acting quickly, Linn worked the driver’s foot off the accelerator, applied the brakes and steered the bus safely to the side of the road after it struck a few construction cones.

"We are thankful the incident was not more serious and that the teacher was able to gain control of the bus to prevent a major accident," Principal Jenny Marquart said in a letter to parents Thursday night.

The students on the bus were understandably a bit shaken up after the incident, but, fortunately, none of the 40 students or six adults on board at the time were injured. A doctor and nurse who were among Parkway parents chaperoning the students tended to the driver until paramedics arrived. They said that the driver had lost consciousness due to a medical condition but had recovered shortly after the incident. Another charter bus and driver were dispatched to transport the students, who were on their way to Florida again within a few hours.

Well done, Mr. Linn. If you and a group of people need comfortable and affordable group transportation to and from a destination and are looking for a San Francisco charter bus service, you have found it! Just give us a call at 1-800-339-8936 to reserve one or more of our Bay Area bus charters. They are perfect for concerts, sporting events, sightseeing tours, Bay Area airport transportation and many other fun, practical and exciting destinations.