School bus driver pinned under bus in ‘freak’ accident dies, Georgia police say
A school bus driver was killed when she became caught under a moving school bus last week, according to Georgia authorities.
The driver was stopped Friday at Landmark Christian School in Fairburn when she stepped off the bus to investigate a mechanical issue, police told McClatchy News in a statement. That’s when the vehicle rolled forward, trapping her underneath.
“Our deepest condolences go out to the family, friends and loved ones of the deceased, as well as the students, faculty, and staff at Landmark Christian School,” the department wrote on Facebook.
Police said there were no students on the bus at the time of the accident.
The veteran school bus driver, later identified as Sandra Goodman, had come out of retirement to work for the private school, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Colleagues remember her as a “beloved staff member” who loved the students she took to school
“She was awesome,” Head of School Jason McMaster told the newspaper. “Please pray for the family and respect their privacy during this difficult time. Our hearts are broken as we share in this loss with them. We will be doing everything we can to love and support them through this.”
Goodman was 66 years old, CBS 46 reported.
Fairburn officers were called to the school around 3:30 p.m. Friday and found Goodman in the gravel parking lot, underneath the bus. The vehicle was still in drive, according to the statement.
“We believe this was a freak accident,” police said. “We know that Ms. Goodman communicated with Landmark about the operation of the parking brake on the bus immediately before the accident occurred. For reasons not specifically known to us, it appears that Ms. Goodman exited the bus while it was in drive, was positioned either in front of or next to the bus, when it unexpectedly rolled forward.”
Officers said there were “multiple inspections” of the bus and that there appeared to be no mechanical issues or defects.
Georgia State Patrol is now investigating the incident.
Fairburn is about 20 miles southwest of Atlanta.
This story was originally published August 31, 2021 at 11:34 AM with the headline "School bus driver pinned under bus in ‘freak’ accident dies, Georgia police say."