School bus evacuates safely alongside Beltline rush hour
Traffic in the westbound lanes of the Beltline was slowed during the rush hour Friday when a bus returning about 74 Madison children from a Boys & Girls Club of Dane County outing developed a problem just east of the Seminole Drive intersection.
Town of Madison Assistant Fire Chief Donald Pierstorff said the bus was returning from Milwaukee to the Madison club when a left rear wheel locked up and began smoking at about 4:40 p.m.
The driver from the Wayne Ace Transportation company of Oregon pulled the bus to a halt, blocking one lane of traffic, and the kids were taken off the bus immediately, Pierstorff said.
"The chaperones did a real good job," Pierstorff said, adding that the kids were taken to the side of the road to a spot "as safe as it could get," given the high-intensity traffic flow.
There was little for firefighters to do when they arrived at the scene. "There was some smoke, but no fire," Pierstorff said. "The biggest issue was the kids."
A Madison Metro bus was called to the scene and took the group of kids the rest of the way to the Jenewein Road clubhouse. There were no injuries in the incident.
Jason McMahon/The Capital Times
5 total imagesview them here
About 72 children were evacuated Friday from a school bus after it began smoking.
- Birth control access gets boost in state budget
- State aid cuts, bigger than expected, shock Madison schools
- Can a beer garden help save Neighborhood House?
- Gov. Palin says she will quit, citing probes, family needs
- After 5 years away, no doubt that No Doubt still has it
- Business Beat: Ending a dysfunctional relationship -- with GM
