Driver chases runaway school bus in Bellevue

BELLEVUE, Wash. — On March 2, when a Bellevue School District bus rolled down a hill, crashed into cars and flipped over, the driver was not on board.

KIRO 7 obtained video of the incident from the Bellevue Police Department. It shows the driver chasing after the bus with two students still on board.

There are seat belts on the bus.

According to the video, the driver exited the bus to close the rear door used to unload wheelchairs. Right after he shut it, the bus started to roll down a steep hill.

It traveled nearly a block, slammed into cars and trees and ended up wedged against a house. The bus driver and other witnesses climbed in through the back emergency window to comfort the children. Investigators say the driver fell when he chased the bus and one of the children had minor injuries.

Bellevue police investigated the collision with the help of the Washington State Patrol.

Bellevue police say the driver is considered a witness because he wasn’t behind the wheel when the bus started to roll.

Police say the bus had a dual braking system and putting it in park wasn’t an option so it was in neutral.

“The individual turned the vehicle off. He walked to the back, and when he closed that door, because the emergency brake system had been turned off, it also now turned off the air brake system, which was preventing the vehicle from moving. The moment the door was closed, it began rolling down the hill,” said Maj. Andrew Popochock, with the Bellevue Police Department.

The driver was not cited by police.

KIRO-7 asked the Bellevue School District if the driver was disciplined.

Michael Mays, a Bellevue School District spokesman, wrote:

"Accidents like this are very rare and we are grateful to our first responders who arrived within minutes and cared for the safety and well-being of our two students and driver. We have been in regular communication with the families impacted and are supporting their needs.

"We want to reassure our families that we take bus safety very seriously and recognize that they entrust their students to us. Our buses are routinely inspected by the Washington State Patrol and have an excellent safety record as was communicated last summer.

"The Washington State Patrol and Bellevue Police Department have conducted an investigation of this accident. We have yet to receive their findings but when we do, we will use these findings to learn from this experience. "

Neighbors who helped after the crash say it was a temporary bus driver.

The district said the driver was experienced and has not operated a bus since the incident.

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