Community shows support as Northwestern students return to school after bus crash

>> PHOTOS: Northwestern community shows support as schools reopen after bus crash

Friday was the first day of classes since Tuesday’s crash on Troy Road (Ohio 41). A minivan drove left of center and struck the bus, which landed on its top before people on the scene pushed it onto its side and began helping the children.

Aiden Clark, 11, died at the scene after he was ejected from the bus.

The school district announced it will close Monday to allow students and staff to attend Aiden’s funeral. Practices and competitions will be held Monday night.

All of the students who were on the Northwestern Local Schools bus that crashed, killing one student and injuring more than two dozen, have been released from hospitals, according to the district.

“It is not our policy or protocol to release medical information about students,” the district said Friday in a social media post. “However, we believe that all students have been released from the hospitals.”

The district canceled classes Wednesday and Thursday to allow students to talk to grief counselors and staff to receive training on how to help students and themselves in the aftermath of the tragedy.

>> Aiden Clark, the 11-year-old student killed in bus crash, loved snuggling, sports and family

Northwestern buses had deputies and officers on them or escorting them to school Friday.

Clark County Sheriff’s Deputy John Loney helped at the scene the day of the crash, calling it “the worst day of everybody’s lives dealing with what had happened, and the loss of the little boy.”

On Friday, Loney said Sheriff Deb Burchett, he and other deputies rode 15 buses Friday to show students they were safe.

“We got off at every stop and greeted those kids so they would have that sense of ease,” Loney said, noting parents were giving their kids extra hugs.

At some bus stops, parents waved on deputies and the bus driver.

“I think parents wanted to take the kids themselves,” Loney said.

Deputies also were there to support the bus driver.

“We wanted to reassure them that they were doing the right thing and a good job,” he said.

Northwestern posted a thank you for all the additional help: “Thank you to all of the administrators from around the county and members of the Sheriff’s Department who road buses this morning. It was awesome to have extra people on hand to welcome our students back to school today!”

Tecumseh Superintendent Paula Crew said she, the district’s two school resource officers, director of safety, three school nurses and mental health therapists all helped with the victims and the parent reunification process on the day of the crash.

“We are humbled Tecumseh Local Schools was allowed to be able to send personnel over there to help with both the injuries and reunification process and do continue to pray for them,” Crew said.

The six Tecumseh schools have flown flags at half staff this week in honor of the Northwestern community. They and other local schools wore red to school, too, to show support for the Warriors.

She said Tecumseh bus drivers loaded an entire bus and went to a vigil to honor the bus driver.

“We are showing love in multitude of ways that are respectful,” she said.

Sumpter and others have noticed that widespread support.

“Our community has really stepped up,” Sumpter said. “I’m really proud to be a Northwestern alumni and really proud to be from Springfield, Ohio.”

Kim Harris lives near the crash site, went to the scene to help that day and came back Friday morning to show her support for “the little elementary kids,” she said.

“It’s just going to take a lot for the community to come together and see to it that our little ones have the help they need, have the support they need and many of the adults who were involved in the tragic accident that day with helping,” Harris said. “It’s definitely an eye opener.”