A Parent's Worst Nightmare

This strikes way too close to home:

A bus carrying 60 high school students home from a band competition collided with a semi truck early Sunday, killing several passengers, the Wisconsin State Patrol said.

"We have multiple injuries, multiple fatals," Sgt. Jerry Voight said.

The students from Chippewa Falls High School had been at a competition at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. The crash happened shortly after 2 a.m. on Interstate 94, Voight said.

Both HolyCoast kids are part of the Mission Viejo High School Marching Band, and this weekend begins a six week competition period in which the kids will be traveling all over Central and Southern California on school buses to attend these comps. Just last night we left the house at around midnight to go to the school and pick them up upon their return from a show in Moreno Valley.

Here's where it gets a little spooky. As we were heading down the street toward the school their now empty buses were coming toward us on their way back to the school district's bus lot, and Mrs. HolyCoast said "thank you, bus drivers, for driving safely". That was before we knew about the accident in Wisconsin. When I read the story this morning and realized that the accident occurred at almost the same moment she was uttering those words, I felt a little chill go up my spine.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of the victims from Chippewa Falls High School.