There is an odd looking red helicopter hovering in my neighborhood. I live in Centreville. It doesn't look at all like the police helicopter I am used to seeing. It stops and just hovers in the same place for like 10 minutes at a time. Then it was flying slowly backwards at one point. I can't see any writing on it. Anyone know? Or see it.

It's the Spunky surveillance copter. Elliot Segal is the pilot.

I was just told that it was probably just Fox News

m Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There is an odd looking red helicopter hovering in
> my neighborhood. I live in Centreville. It doesn't
> look at all like the police helicopter I am used
> to seeing. It stops and just hovers in the same
> place for like 10 minutes at a time. Then it was
> flying slowly backwards at one point. I can't see
> any writing on it. Anyone know? Or see it.


Did it look anything like this? I saw a Coast Guard copter flying around this weekend....

Probably a news helicopter. There was a bad accident involving a FFX County school bus this a.m. in C'ville.

I was there and saw what happend. A dump truck t-boned a minivan at the Mcdonalds on 28. There were two helicopters, one was the news the other was lifeflight (think thats what its called). They shut down both sides of 28 to allow the medical chopper to land. By the time I got there they had already taken the person or people out of the minivian and where waiting for the chopper to land, so i'm not sure how many where involved. Hope this helps.

Someone needs to tell the coast guard that they shouldn't be dropping people out of the doors at random intervals.

dgriff Wrote:
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> Probably a news helicopter. There was a bad
> accident involving a FFX County school bus this
> a.m. in C'ville.


Actually, i was driving the minivan, and am quite well, thank you. A school bus rear-ended a dump truck carrying asphalt, which then went out of control, and pinned my vehicle against the McDonald's guardrail. Between a (truck full of) rock and a hard place, literally. There was also a blue news chopper. There are some good pictures on the internet Here: http://www.news8.net/news/stories/1108/572477.html
But, the the best story comes here: http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/news/2008/nov/24/police-seek-witnesses-school-bus-crash/

Elfraed.....
Glad to see you are unharmed, it looked pretty nasty in person.

Elfraed, I feel bad it wasn't Mike Omeara instead of you in that van.. and if it had been Mike, I wish the van had exploded.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/25/2008 01:24PM by RESton Peace.

Police Seek Witnesses to School Bus Crash
Fairfax County Crash Reconstruction Detectives are asking for anyone who may have witnessed a crash involving a school bus to call the police. The crash occurred at the intersection of Route 28 and Old Centreville Road shortly after 9 a.m.on Monday, November 24.

A 44-year-old woman from Marshall, Virginia was operating an unloaded 2005 Bluebird, Fairfax County School bus northbound on Route 28, approaching the red signal at Old Centreville Road. A 2005 Sterling dump truck was stopped at the red light in the right northbound lane of Route 28 at Old Centreville Road. A 1997 Dodge Caravan was stopped at the red light in the left turn lane of southbound Route 28 at Old Centreville Road. The school bus rear ended the dump truck which then accelerated across the intersection. The dump truck then turned and crossed into the southbound lanes striking the Dodge Caravan in the driver side. The dump truck continued to accelerate pushing the van across all southbound lanes and up onto the sidewalk. The van and the dump truck became pinned against the guardrail. Neither the driver of the van nor dump truck suffered major injury. The driver of the school bus was flown by Fairfax County medevac helicopter to Fairfax Hospital with life-threatening injuries. The bus attendant on board the bus was also transported to Fairfax Hospital with what appear to be non life-threatening injuries. There were no children on the bus at the time of the crash.

Speed and alcohol do not appear to be a factor

elfraed Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> dgriff Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Probably a news helicopter. There was a bad
> > accident involving a FFX County school bus this
> > a.m. in C'ville.
>
>
> Actually, i was driving the minivan, and am quite
> well, thank you. A school bus rear-ended a dump
> truck carrying asphalt, which then went out of
> control, and pinned my vehicle against the
> McDonald's guardrail. Between a (truck full of)
> rock and a hard place, literally. There was also a
> blue news chopper. There are some good pictures on
> the internet Here:
> http://www.news8.net/news/stories/1108/572477.html
>
> But, the the best story comes here:
> http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/news/2008/nov/24/polic
> e-seek-witnesses-school-bus-crash/


How much is FCPS going to pay you for the damage they caused your vehicle?

I have already turned our Dodge Caravan over to the insurance company, and handed the license plates into the DMV. It's up to them now, and no concern of mine. Our vehicle had served us well but it was getting on in years and we were thinking of replacing it anyway.
I am sorry for the bus driver. They say there were no skid marks behind the bus, which means she went in at speed. She hit so hard, that the front of the bus wrapped around the back of the dump truck, and there was actually yellow paint on the sides of the truck at the rear! I saw this, myself.
Say a prayer for her and her family.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/25/2008 06:14PM by Awakened.

I'm a FCPS driver and we heard today that the driver is brain dead. I know most of you hate everything and everybody in FCPS, but this is sad, she had young kids.

One error in the news reports is that the bus involved is a "2005 Blue Bird". It is indeed a Blue Bird but FCPS has not purchased a Blue Bird bus in a LONG time. Maybe they meant 1995? The NEWEST regular-ed Blue Bird buses in the fleet are 1991 models. This bus is a Special Ed bus (short bus), which I believe they bought for a few years longer than reg-ed buses, but it's certainly not a 2000+ model.

This may not matter in the least, but the older buses are pretty raggedy.

Bus Driver,
I'm terribly saddend to hear the news about her being brain dead. Do they have any idea why she didnt hit her brakes? did they fail?
What a terrible accident to happen so close to the holidays as well, I feel horrible for her family, most of all her children. I will keep them all in my prayers. Please keep us updated as to what you hear and if any miracles happen.
If they let her go and a fund is set up for her children please also let us know, as I would like to contribute. It wont be much, but I will do what I can to help the children.

What tragic news! I wonder what took her attention away from the road. My sympathy goes out to her family. Its never a good time for something like this to happen, but its particularly sad this time of year. Pray...miracles do happen.

The only good thing was there were no children on the bus. Bus drivers are so under appreciated. Their job carries so much responsibility (and headaches too, Im sure). Be safe out there.

bus driver Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm a FCPS driver and we heard today that the
> driver is brain dead. I know most of you hate
> everything and everybody in FCPS, but this is sad,
> she had young kids.
>
> One error in the news reports is that the bus
> involved is a "2005 Blue Bird". It is indeed a
> Blue Bird but FCPS has not purchased a Blue Bird
> bus in a LONG time. Maybe they meant 1995? The
> NEWEST regular-ed Blue Bird buses in the fleet are
> 1991 models. This bus is a Special Ed bus (short
> bus), which I believe they bought for a few years
> longer than reg-ed buses, but it's certainly not a
> 2000+ model.
>
> This may not matter in the least, but the older
> buses are pretty raggedy.


I considered that myself, and immediately checked out the Atlantic school buys yard, which confirmed it.

A question in my mind is if the brakes were functional. Why would there be no skid marks?

Almost certainly it was a spare bus, not a normal use one. Perhaps it had not been maintained. Could the county be saying that bus is newer than it is in order to shift blame for faulty brakes to the manufactuerer?

That's a terrible conclusion. News release was likely a typo.

"Do they have any idea why she didnt hit her brakes? did they fail? "

No, but she FAILED.

496 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "Do they have any idea why she didnt hit her
> brakes? did they fail? "
>
> No, but she FAILED.


Well, she paid with her life. Is that good enough for you, asshole?


Chica and When will it end: thank you for your kind responses. She died Wednesday, so I guess we'll hear something about donations for the family, etc.
Sorry for my delayed response, I don't have a computer, so I only post when I'm babysitting.

The County is very secretive about stuff like this, so we only have the rumor mill and the newspaper. But I wonder if she had passed out? I didn't know her at all, but I know some Special Ed drivers that might know something. I suppose the autopsy might also shed some light...

KeepOnTruckin: Yes, it was surely a spare bus, but they're on the road every day too, and are serviced at the same interval as line buses. But, brake failures are not unheard of. I remember years ago a girl rear-ended somebody and claimed the brakes failed. The County didn't believe her and fired her. Then they assigned the bus to another driver, and the same thing happened to her. The brakes WERE bad afterall and they rehired the fired driver.

Bus driver.....
Oh NO, i'm soooo sorry to hear that she passed on. I had been keeping an eye on the news for any updates to her condition, but all I kept getting was news from the day of the accident and nothing afterwards about her. That is really sad to hear. I'm sure her family is just numb and so close to the Holiday as well. Her poor children.

Please let us know if you hear of any funds set up for her family and I will keep searching the net for information. There are i'm sure much smarter people on here that may know how to obtain updated information on this and will hopefully post here so those that are interested in contributing can view any updated info.

I'm so sorry to hear this.

How strange that there wasn't anything in the newspaper about her passing. Or if there was, it wasn't very big. If the accident was in any way caused by mechanical failure, I can see why there was no press release by Fairfax County. As a tax payer, and someone who has children on school busses every day, I'd like to know if there is a problem with maintenance of the busses. It would also be nice if the public knew about this and could make contributions to the family.

I assume even if this bus is a 'spare', it was being used to transport children since there was a bus attendant on the bus. This is very scary.

Prayers go out the the family. Bus Driver...let us know if there is a place to contribute.

The FCPS driver of this bus quietly passed away today. Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers during their time of sorrow. She will be missed.

I thought she passed last Wednesday, thats when another poster said she passed. I understand she was on lifesupport, did she pass on her own, or did they let her go?
Please keep us posted if a fund is set up for the family.

why do people insist on saying "pass" when really they just mean die. it's just stupid.


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

Its polite.

When will it end Wrote:
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> Its polite.


Then that's why Gravis wouldn't understand.

the cops couldn't be short on witnesses, this was at 0900 at a very busy intersection.

must be trying to get more of that hot, centervillian commuter ass up in the police station. can't say i blame them.
Attachments:

The attendant can't remember anything of what happened, and apparently there are 'no witnesses'. there couldnt have been NOBODY around! people need to step forward, this poor family needs answers.

wow, look at those sausage fingers...

Red is a pretty color for a helicopter!

This kind and intelligent man can explain everything to you.

He is a retired Fairfax County (FCPS) school teacher.

http://youtu.be/FmMMTvpaGd8

Hello everyone who had an opinion of the accident. My name is nickie latimer and I was bonnie's daughter (the bus driver). The police still haven't said anything about the accident and there was no autopsy. My mother has brain dead and all of her bones were broken from being crushed inside the bus. She was on life support and so my father who also worked for fcps pulled the plugs on her. She was loved very much by both of her childern. But she is also missed, I was only 14 when this happened and it was very hard for me.

BOLO

703 624 1878 Kewal Paudel