Durham School Services
Durham School Services is a school bus operator providing tendered pupil transportation throughout the United States, based in Lisle, Illinois, and currently operating in 32 states. Founded in 1917 with three buses in the San Gabriel Valley, it became a subsidiary of National Express in 1999.[1]
 Conventional yellow school bus | |
| Parent | Mobico Group |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1917 |
| Headquarters | 2601 Navistar Drive Lisle, Illinois |
| Service area | 32 states in the United States |
| Service type | School bus contractor |
| Fleet | 15,500 (September 2020) |
| Website | Official website  |
North American sister companies are Stock Transportation in Canada and Petermann Bus in Ohio.[2]
As of September 2017, it operated 15,500 buses in 32 states.[3]
Accidents and incidents
2016 Chattanooga, Tennessee
On 21 November 2016, a school bus operated by Durham was involved in an accident which left six students dead in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The driver, Johnthony K. Walker was charged with five counts of vehicular homicide. The investigation revealed that though the driver was not intoxicated, he was speeding and had strayed from the assigned route.[4] Walker had been involved in an accident two months prior, and had his drivers license suspended in 2014 for failure to show proof of insurance.[5]
2018 Meriden, Connecticut
In January 2018 a Durham School Services school bus crashed into a home in Meriden, Connecticut. There were eleven students on the bus at the time of the crash, no students were injured. The driver of the bus suffered injuries and was transported to Hartford Hospital.[6]
2018 East Haven, Connecticut
A Durham school services school bus was carrying the East Haven High School girls volleyball team, when anti freeze spilled in the bus causing it to fill with smoke. Several students were injured and two were transported to the hospital.[7]
2018 Irving, Texas
On Oct 16, 2018 Durham School bus was on its way to Valley Ranch Elementary in Irving Texas shortly before 7 a.m. when the driver noticed smoke coming from the engine, according to Coppell ISD spokeswoman Amanda Simpson. The driver, "followed protocol" and pulled over, evacuating two students and a monitor on board. Irving Fire Department responded to the scene, and for getting the fire out quickly and ensuring all surrounding the incident were safe. [8]
References
- Cooper, Christopher (17 August 1999). "National Express Acquires Durham for $175.4 Million". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
- Petermann Overview
- History Durham School Services
- Blinder, Alan (23 November 2016). "Bus in Crash That Killed 6 in Chattanooga Had Strayed From Route". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- Windsor, Morgan (23 November 2016). "Warning Signs About Chattanooga School Bus Driver Weeks, Months Before Fatal Crash - ABC News". ABC News. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- "School bus crashes into Meriden home". www.wtnh.com. 26 January 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- "Several East Haven High School students injured following antifreeze spill on bus". www.foxct.com. 5 October 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- "No Injuries After Coppell ISD Bus Catches Fire in Irving". 17 October 2018.