Parents and bus company owner want answers about bus accident with train

By:Dave BalutFlorida -Brian Annett, President, Annett Bus Lines: “Y’know my thoughts about this are sickening.”That’s how Brian Annett feels about an accident involving one of his busses Friday afternoon in Brooksville.A bus on the way back from a field trip in Kissimmee apparently stalled on railroad tracks crossing State Road 50. 42 middle school students, plus 4 chaperones and the driver made it out the bus just before a train smashed into it.Jason Blomgren, Chaperone: “Pure pandemonium, kids were going crazy, screaming, stampeding all over each other.”The bus that was smashed belongs to Annett Bus Lines, a company based in Sebring celebrating its 30th year in business. President Brian Annett says he’s looking for answers as to why the bus stalled on the railroad tracks.Brian Annett:“We’re full well and understanding the anger and the questions from the parents.”Annett says the bus company’s own investigation is in its early stages, but he says there was nothing to indicate any signs of engine trouble, until the accident.Brian Annett: “We’ve looked at the records, and the records show the bus was up to par when it left, when it was dispatched.”Annett says the bus company performs its own maintenance, and records show the 21-year-old bus in question had a minor problem that was reported February 10th. A driver wrote, the bathroom door gets stuck. Records show the 21-year-old bus was fixed on February 14th, three days before the accident.Brian Annett: “We’re going to find out what happened here and the events that lead to this and correct them.”Annett says the driver, Scott Short of Sebring, had just started with the company the end of January. We left a message with the driver but did not hear back from him.We also checked with school districts in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties. All three school districts say they use charter bus for field trips and out-of-town sporting events on a regular basis.