Bus crash spurs look at drivers' ages

Several state lawmakers said they may consider legislation aimed at mandatory driving ages for bus drivers a week after an accident on Interstate 15 left 35 children bruised and shaken.

"This is really tragic," Assemblywoman Vonne Chowning, D-North Las Vegas, said, referring to a bus accident in which an 80-year-old driver died last week.

Chowning is chairwoman of the Assembly transportation committee. "We haven't considered it (previously) because there has not been an overwhelming number of incidents, although this one certainly does cry out at us."

Chowning said it was too late to consider new bills this session, however.

Assemblyman David Parks, D-Las Vegas, another member of the transportation committee, added, "I think it needs to be looked at. I'm not sure what the solution is, but it warrants looking at."

Officials are still investigating the cause of the March 30 charter-bus accident, of which the only fatality was the bus driver, Charlie Burger. He succumbed to injuries two days after the accident. The California Highway Patrol immediately after the accident had erroneously reported that Burger was 63.

The Coach USA bus was carrying 35 fifth-graders from David Cox Elementary School and nine adult supervisors returning from a field trip to San Diego's Sea World when it struck a tractor-trailer from behind on I-15 near Mountain Pass, Calif., about 55 miles southwest of Las Vegas. The two vehicles slid down a 35-foot embankment. Investigators said it was a "miracle" that the bus remained upright, leaving those inside with only minor injuries.

California Highway Patrol officials said it could take several months to complete an accident investigation and determine the cause. They have not said that Burger's age was a factor.

Officials with the bus company, Coach USA, have emphasized that Burger was energetic, spry and an experienced, licensed driver. And Nevada laws do not restrict the age of drivers, including commercial drivers.

Assemblywoman Barbara Cegavske, R-Las Vegas, said she was reluctant to place age restrictions on drivers.

"There are people who are 80 who might be better drivers than people who are 17 or 18 or 50," Cegavske, another member of the transportation committee, said. "It varies. To put a blatant 'You're 80, you can't drive' age restriction on drivers, I don't think that's right.' "

Burger's age nevertheless has raised questions.

"Most of the states that I am familiar with have mandatory retirement ages for (school) bus drivers," Ronald Despenza, director of transportation for the Clark County School District, said. "It's something we should seriously look at. It makes sense. Once you get past 70 or 75, you're starting to lose some of your skills."

Despenza said the district's oldest school bus driver is 68. The district has no mandatory retirement policy for bus drivers, although most retire long before age 80.

District spokesman Ray Willis said the district has no control over the age of charter bus drivers hired by schools.

"We have no say in that," Willis said.

The district is concerned only that drivers meet legal requirements, which Burger did.

"The school district doesn't discriminate based on age," Willis said.

School Board President Ruth Johnson added, "At this point, we have no reason to believe that his age had anything to do with it, at least until we know more from the authorities."

District officials are not reviewing field-trip policies as they await the accident report from California Highway Patrol investigators.

"If something comes out of the report that we need to react to, we certainly will," Donald Lee, business manager of the school district, said. "There is not a lot we can do until they conclude their investigation."

The bus company has agreed, at least for now, to pay the medical bills of the students and adult chaperones who were injured in the accident, Lee said.

The accident left most of the students and chaperones with scrapes, bruises and frightening memories.

The school's registrar clerk was awake when the bus struck the truck. Coni Lang said she thinks the bus bumped the truck twice before both vehicles slid down the embankment, as some of the children shrieked.

"I could see it happening," Lang said. "So I braced myself. I just remember the twisting of metal, that noise, the shrill sound and the brakes. It was just seconds but it seemed like hours. It couldn't end soon enough."

A "crisis team" of three district counselors and a school psychologist held a session with about 30 children at school Monday, their first day back after spring break. Some of the children wore bandages and had visible bruises.

The students wanted to discuss "what ifs" -- what if they had left at a different time? What if the bus had flipped over?

"They realize how lucky they were," Cox counselor Kathy Shovlin said.

The children talked about the accident scene and how they had been concerned for each other and Burger.

"They had really wanted to know that their classmates were safe," Shovlin said. "They are in fifth grade, but they recognize the importance of those relationships."

The students made a condolence card for Burger's family.

Staffers at Sea World sent a get-well card to the Cox pupils, emblazoned with the message "Shamu is thinking of you!"

"The kids want to know why it happened," Shovlin said. "If they don't know why it happened, they don't know how to deal with it so it doesn't happen again."

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