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Press release of December 15, 2011
BH-BL staff member is killed in
traffic accident
No students involved
BURNT HILLS: BH-BL school bus
driver Bob Kucharski was behind the wheel of his
personal vehicle this morning when he collided with
a bus driven by one of his fellow drivers and was
killed. The accident occurred near the intersection
of Hubbs Road and Schauber Road in Ballston Lake.
Driver Amy Powell was in her empty
bus, returning from delivering students to the
Saratoga VoTech Center, when the accident between
her bus and Kucharski's SUV occurred. The district
has no information about the cause of the accident,
which is being investigated by the Saratoga County
Sheriff.
Powell was taken to Ellis Hospital,
where she was treated and released.
Emergency responders pronounced
Kucharski dead at the scene.
Powell has been a driver for BH-BL
for 15 years, and Kucharski for eight years.
"This is an extremely sad time for
the district, especially for our bus drivers, bus
mechanics, dispatchers, and the transportation
supervisor," says assistant superintendent
Jacqueline St. Onge. "Bob was an excellent driver,
and a wonderful man who was always willing and eager
to help everyone else. Everyone here loved him."
School social workers were quickly
brought to the bus garage to greet and assist other
drivers as they arrived to make their afternoon
runs. Some drivers were too upset to drive, and the
district is very grateful to the substitute drivers
from the Scotia-Glenville and Shenendehowa school
districts who pitched in to help in this unusual
situation.
BH-BL school social workers will be
calling the parents of students on Kucharski's
regular elementary, middle school and high school
bus runs this evening, so that parents can speak to
their children. The social workers will also be
available at school Friday to speak to children
individually.
Grief counselors from Community
Hospice of Albany volunteered to come to the bus
garage today to assist staff members and to return
on Friday.
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