THIS SCHOOL BUS sustained only slight damage when it was struck head-on by a vehicle driven by a New Mexico driver on July 7. Although the driver of the other vehicle was killed, none of the 43 Montezuma-Cortez High School marching-band members was injured in the accident.

By Aspen C. Emmett
Journal Staff Writer

Looking at the minor damages suffered by the school bus involved in a two-vehicle crash on July 7, one might not expect that the accident was fatal for the driver of the other car.

Johansen Begay, 21, of Newcomb, N.M., died on impact when he swerved across the highway near Shiprock, N.M., and collided head-on with the Montezuma-Cortez High School activity bus carrying 43 marching-band members on their way home from a trip to Washington, D.C.

None of the children on board were injured and Re-1 transportation director Darrell Dennison credits the bus’s strong structure for protecting its occupants.

"No matter how many times you hear that buses are safer than cars, it doesn’t really sink in until you see something like that happen," Dennison said.

"When you see a wreck like that with a fatality involved and no one inside the bus was even scratched — that was a pretty good sign that the bus did what it was supposed to do."

Begay was suspected to be under the influence of alcohol, according to Shiprock police spokesman Samson Cowboy.

Dennison said Colorado state law has a minimum standard for school buses that exceed safety standards of other buses.

"They are built a lot stronger than your normal out-for-hire transit buses," he said. "The buses are built with the students in mind for compartmentalization to keep the students confined in the bus and make sure the damage is taken to the bus and not into the bus and the students.

"Cars nowadays are built with a lot of plastic and lightweight metal, but buses are still built with heavy-duty metal, better suspensions and a lot better frame work to them. The bus did what it was supposed to do — it held up and it took the force," Dennison commented.

At the Re-1 school board meeting last Tuesday,

Dennison and board members also praised the actions of the bus driver Rudy Kraus, who reportedly maneuvered the bus in a safe and professional manner before and during the accident.

"I hate to say that any one bus driver is better than the rest, but Rudy truly is one of our best," Dennison told the board.

A long-time employee of the district, Kraus reached out to Begay’s family following the crash and attended the man’s funeral.

Dennison said he don’t know yet if the bus will be salvageable.

"It depends on what the value of that bus is now. It’s a 1990 and it’s got about 280,000 miles on it.

"I would guess that it’s probably not totaled because of the damage that’s there, but the age may say that it’s totaled after they get everything figured."