An electrical power line fell across a school bus Tuesday night, trapping 11 pupils. No one was injured as the children and their driver remained on board until the power could be turned off.
Authorities said they rushed to Walker and Second streets after receiving calls about the bus and the wires.
When he arrived on the scene, Richmond County Fire Lt. Dale Meno said he told the bus driver to keep the children inside until Georgia Power Co. employees arrived to shut off the power.
"They (the children) were in immediate danger," Lt. Meno said. "We heard there were sparks flying at one point. That's when I decided for them to stay on the bus and avoid any further danger."
He said there were 11 children on the bus. They were returning from an after-school program at Craig-Houghton Elementary School, said Sevina Walker, 23, who was waiting to pick up her nephew, 10-year-old Sheldon Couatney.
Sheldon said a substitute bus driver advised them to stay on the bus.
Lt. Meno said witnesses told him a tractor-trailer caused the damage.
"The truck was riding along Walker Street and stripped down the wires just before the bus arrived," he said.
It doesn't appear that the bus was at fault, Lt. Meno said. Augusta 911 officials were called about the incident at 6:35 p.m. Authorities had cleared the scene by 8:15 p.m.
Reach Timothy Cox at (706) 823-3217 or tim.cox@augustachronicle.com.
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