Alabama bus carrying college students bursts into flames on Interstate in Mississippi
Published 11:27 am Monday, January 20, 2020
A charter bus carrying members of a University of Alabama fraternity caught fire Sunday afternoon in eastern Mississippi.
Fire and rescue officials responded to the bus fire just off Interstate 59 near the Moselle community.
The bus driver, identified by some media outlets as Juan Johnson, reported that an object fell from an 18-wheeler and the bus ran over the object, which caused the fire.
Several members of the Sigma Chi – University of Alabama Facebook group differ with the details reported, however.
In comments about the accident, members of the group (several of which claim to be parents of students who were on the buses) say the bus driver of the bus that caught fire was a female and that she fled the bus quickly, but did not evacuate the students, though all got out safely. Commenters alleged Johnson was driving another bus, making the same trip.
Reportedly four buses from charter operator Birmingham Express Bus lines were returning Sunday from New Orleans were the fraternity had hosted a formal. Fraternity members and their dates were returning aboard four buses, only one of which caught fire, online commenters reported on the fraternity’s social media group.
Editor’s note: This article has been modified since original publication to clarify details about the accident.