Washington Students Trapped On School Bus Surrounded By Live Electric Wires

Auburn, WA – Power lines left 38 elementary school students trapped inside a school bus. The children were stuck inside after the bus hit an electric pole on the way home from school Wednesday afternoon. Fortunately, none of the Arthur Jacobson Elementary School students were injured in the accident.

Puget Sound Energy crews responded to the Auburn bus crash scene which caused 1,700 customers to experience power issues after the school bus accident, KIRO-TV reports. The students ranged in age from kindergarten students through fifth grade, according to the Auburn-Reporter.

Both the school bus driver and the students were kept inside while members of the Valley Regional Fire Authority and Kent Fire Department worked to make the scene safe enough to work on passenger removal. Once Puget Sound Energy workers were able to de-energize the electrical lines, the Arthur Jacobson Elementary students were safely unloaded.

The bus driver was moving at a low rate of speed when he hit an electric pole on Wednesday. The collision caused the lines from the power pole to dislodge and become draped around the vehicle. The older children reportedly remained fairly calm as fire and power workers moved about the wreck scene preparing for their removal. Some younger children could be seen crying or looking visibly upset through the bus windows, King 5 News notes. The accident was surely a very harrowing experience for students’ parents as well.

It took a little less than an hour before the electrical wires could be de-energized and moved away from the immediate crash scene, according to KOMO News. Police officers are still investigating the cause of the accident. No charges have yet been levied against the Arthur Jacobson Elementary School driver.