School district says mechanical failure, not fire, stranded bus on Sunset Blvd.

Lexington, SC (Paul Kirby) A school bus carrying students from Meadow Glen Elementary School broke down on Sunset Blvd. just before 3:00 p.m. today causing a bit of a scare before it was realized the bus was not on fire. According to a district spokesperson, a mechanical failure was the culprit. Because it pushed soot out through the tail pipe, the fire service was dispatched to what they originally thought might be a bus on fire.

Mary Beth Hill, chief communications officer for the district, said there was no fire and no smoke, only soot. Once the first unit from the fire service arrived and realized this, they requested law enforcement for traffic control until the bus could be moved off Sunset where it was blocking traffic and the students were quickly transferred to another bus. All of the students are safe, there was never any danger to the children, and they are all on their way home, according to Hill.