Victims Of Tuesday School Bus Fire Near Oakland, Iowa, Identified

OAKLAND, IA — The two people who died Tuesday morning in a school bus fire near Oakland have been identified. Officials said the victims are Donnie Hendricks, 74, of Carson, who was the driver of the bus, and Megan Klindt, 16, a sophomore in the Riverside Community Schools.

The fire began shortly after 7 a.m. after Hendricks backed out of the Klindt driveway at 17840 480th St. and went into a ditch across the gravel road. The bus became stuck and the fire was noticed shortly after.

Lt. Rob Ambrose said a family member at the Klindt home saw the fire and called to report it, then tried to assist the two off the bus, but could not get to them. The bus was fully engulfed in flames when officials arrived approximately 13 minutes after the 911 call was placed.

Because the bus was "fully involved" in the fire, Ambrose said it was not possible to tell where on the bus the fire broke out. "Exactly what caused the fire is unknown," Ambrose told Patch, adding that the ditch was grass-covered and investigators are looking at whether the exhaust could have sparked a fire.

The farm is located five to six miles east and about a mile south of Oakland, which is approximately 25 miles east of Council Bluffs. Ambrose said the first deputy on the scene arrived at approximately 7:15 a.m. Fire crews from Oakland, Carson and Macedonia, which are all volunteer departments, were dispatched to handle the fire.

Once the fire was out, officials discovered the bodies of the victims.

Classes continued Tuesday in the Riverside district and grief counselors were made available to talk to students, a school official said. The Riverside district, serving Carson, Oakland and Macedonia, has an enrollment of about 700 students with an elementary school and a grade 7-12 junior/senior high school in Oakland and an intermediate school in Carson.

Superintendent Timothy Mitchell said the district and community "suffered a tragedy when we lost a student and an employee in a school bus accident. Our hearts go out to their families and loved ones."

Mitchell said the investigation into the cause of the accident is underway, and the district is cooperating with law enforcement as they do their work. He provided families with information about how to explain the tragedy to children and how to help them cope with grief.

"The entire community of the Riverside Community School District is deeply saddened by the events of this morning," Mitchell said. "We would like to thank everyone who has offered assistance. Once again, our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who is impacted by this tragic event."

All after-school activities in the district for Tuesday will be rescheduled.

The investigation is ongoing with the Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office, Iowa State Fire Marshal's Office and the Iowa Department of Transportation.

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