Bus gets stuck on light rail median

Downtown Norfolk

Updated: Thursday, 27 May 2010, 5:59 PM EDT
Published : Thursday, 27 May 2010, 11:48 AM EDT

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) – A yellow school bus blocked traffic in downtown Norfolk late Thursday morning.

The Newport News Public Schools bus driver drove over a light rail overhead contact system (OCS) base, which is used to wire the light rail trains, and the bus became stuck on the concrete median.

Pictures from the scene show no students on the bus. According to Michelle Prince with Newport News Schools, the bus had just dropped students off for a field trip and was looking for a parking spot.

Only one socket was damaged.

Police blocked off Tazewell St. from Granby to Monticello until a wrecker removed the bus from the median. The bus had a scrape on its undercarriage, but was otherwise intact.

Newport News officials sent another bus to transport the students.

HRT Public Information Officer Tom Holden tells 10 On Your Side, HRT is in the process of rolling out a safety campaign to educate drivers and pedestrians about light rail.

As for this particular incident, Holden said, “We regret she had an accident, but there is sufficient warning and information out there for any driver to see it is a construction site.”