DRIVING THE INDUSTRY SINCE 1991
AMERICAN SCHOOL BUS COUNCIL NAMES SLAIN ALABAMA BUS DRIVER A ‘CHAMPION’
C
harles “Chuck” Poland posthumously received a School Bus Champion Award from the American School Bus Council during the annual Southeastern States Pupil Transportation Conference held in Mo-
bile, Ala., about 200 miles southeast from where the school bus driver was murdered on board his school bus earlier this year. Te July 8 ceremony honored Poland for standing between gunman Jimmy Lee Dykes and a busload of students on Jan. 29. Dykes illegally boarded the school bus as it stopped near his home and demanded two students. Poland can be heard on the bus’ audio tape refusing to hand over the children despite threats from Dykes that he would shoot him if he didn’t com- ply. Donny Bynum, superintendent for Dale County Schools in Midland, told STN that Poland said, “Tese kids are my responsibility,” over and over, yet kept calm the entire time. Bynum said Poland even told Dykes, “We’ll get you the help you need,” as he positioned himself between Dykes and the students.
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£ ASBC Representative Ken Hedgecock (left) of Thomas Built Buses presents the School Bus Champion Award to Dale County Schools Superintendent Donny Bynum, who accepted on behalf of Chuck Poland’s family.
Te standoff lasted about six minutes, culminating with
Dykes shooting Poland four times as sirens can be heard in the distance. Dykes abducted then 5-year-old Ethan Gilman, a stu- dent with autism, and held him in a homemade, underground bunker for the next seven days. On Feb. 4, FBI agents stormed the bunker when hostage negotiations broke down and shot and killed Dykes, and rescued Ethan unharmed physically. Ken Hedgecock (pictured above at left) of Tomas Built
Buses, and an ASBC representative, presented the School Bus Champion Award to Bynum, who accepted the honor on behalf of Poland’s family. Hedgecock said Poland “displayed bravery, honor and conviction that most of us can’t even imagine.” “He faced evil and gave his life to save the lives of more than 20 kids who could have become victims themselves,” he added.
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