Floodwaters swept away a school bus

LEANDER, TX (Fox 26Houston/Storyful – Floodwater in Leander, Texas, swept away a school bus with a child and driver aboard on October 16. 

First responders pulled the driver and a 12-year-old student, the sole passenger, from the bus after it was washed from the road and became lodged in a creek.

The driver of the bus was later fired by the school district and arrested by police. The student on the bus was treated by medical workers and released to his family.

The Leander Police Department released this video to illustrate the dangers of attempting to drive in flood conditions.The Facebook post:

On the morning of Oct. 16th, during record rain and flooding in our area, a bus driver attempted to drive over a low-water crossing after driving around a barricade posted in the road indicating the road was closed due to flooding. The Leander Police Department has elected to release a portion of the forward-facing video from the bus in an effort to illustrate the dangers of attempting to drive across a low-water crossing during flood conditions. The biggest factor in these circumstances is buoyancy. For each foot the water rises up the side of the vehicle, the vehicle displaces 1,500 lbs. of water. In effect, the vehicle weighs 1,500 lbs. less for each foot the water rises. Just two feet of water can carry away most vehicles. TURN AROUND – DON’T DROWN is not just a catchy phrase, but potentially a life-saving reminder. #turnarounddontdrown