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WEST JORDAN — A Jordan School District bus driver was killed Friday in a three-vehicle collision involving large vehicles.
The bus driver was identified as Stan Riley, 55, who had been driving for the district for 11 years. No students were on the bus at the time of the crash.
"Our loss is beyond words," Jordan School District Superintendent Patrice Johnson said in a statement. "Riley was a bus driver who took great pride in his job and loved the students he served. He was loved and respected in return by fellow drivers and district employees. … Our thoughts and prayers go out to Stan’s family in this very difficult time."
The cause of the crash that happened just after 2 p.m. was still under investigation Friday afternoon.
"An empty school bus from the Jordan School District traveling north on the Mountain View Corridor at the intersection with Old Bingham Highway collided with an industrial truck that sent the school bus into a garbage truck," said West Jordan Police Sgt. Dan Roberts.
It appeared as though the brakes on the semitrailer went out, he said. There were no skid marks leading up to collision.
Wayne Hunting was driving a vehicle in front of the school bus and said he swerved to narrowly miss the industrial truck that he said drove through a red light and pushed the bus into the garbage truck.
“I was the one on the phone with 911 and was standing there as that poor man died,” he said. "That was not that school bus driver’s fault."
The driver of the garbage truck — and the driver of that industrial semi — were not injured.
Commercial vehicle inspectors were on the scene looking at all three vehicles involved.
Contributing: Sam Penrod
