A longtime mechanic was killed after the school bus he was repairing rolled and crushed him inside a Westmoreland County bus garage, reported CBS News.
According to the news report, Barry Barker was working on a school bus at the Lodestar Bus Lines garage in New Florence Borough when the incident occurred July 2 at approximately 9:30 a.m.

Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Steve Limani said emergency responders were dispatched around 9:35 a.m. after an employee reported the unresponsive mechanic inside the garage.

“An employee at a bus garage … said they had a mechanic that was lying inside the garage, that [he] was unresponsive, and it appears he may have had an incident where a bus drove over him,” Limani said.

Investigators reportedly said Barker had been repairing a school bus that was experiencing brake problems. Police located cutting tools near Barker that appeared to have been used during the repair, though investigators have not yet determined exactly what caused the bus to begin moving.

The bus reportedly rolled over Barker before slowly traveling across 13th Street and coming to rest in a nearby yard. Authorities said the incident appears to have been accidental.

“It just seems like a horrific tragedy and a pure accident,” Limani said via the article. “From my understanding, he has been a mechanic for quite a long time, and he has been at that garage for an extended period of time.” He added that investigators currently have no reason to believe foul play or any criminal activity was involved.

The Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office identified Barker and said the cause and manner of death remain pending following an autopsy and toxicology testing. State police continue to investigate how the school bus began moving while Barker was working underneath it.

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Related: School Bus Driver Charged with Hit-and-Run Death of Brooklyn Girl

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Reactive maintenance programs leave K-12 fleets susceptible to breakdowns, compliance gaps and rising costs. This guide gives student transportation directors a framework for shifting from costly “break-fix” repairs to a predictive, data-driven strategy that helps extend bus lifespans, reduce total cost of ownership and make every student journey safer.

Inside, you’ll learn:

• Why traditional maintenance falls short: Discover how aging fleets and untracked driver behaviors can create maintenance and compliance risks.
• How to progress from reactive to predictive: Understand the three stages of maintenance maturity and how to reach the predictive phase.
• What telematics unlocks for your operation: Move past data silos with a solution that brings rich diagnostic data, digital DVIRs, driver behavior monitoring and predictive intelligence together.
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Fill out the form below and then check your email to access the guide.

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The annual school bus inspection training that goes above and beyond state and federal Department of Transportation requirements brings back OEM training and looks to add post-crash inspection criteria in addition to hands-on detection of defects.

Developed by school bus maintenance and inspection expert Marshall Casey for the South Carolina Department of Education, the in-depth training at STN EXPO East starts with classroom instruction on Friday, March 27. The eight-hour training will also include a written exam on the National School Bus Training manual.

On Saturday, participants attend a morning maintenance software session sponsored by Transfinder. They will then be transported to a local school district in Charlotte, North Carolina for the hands-on training which includes an overview of high-voltage school bus electrification followed by instruction on finding real defects on real school buses. Class attendees will learn how to avoid costly repairs with early detection, which also leads to less vehicle downtime and a more efficient school bus maintenance schedule in the garage.

This year, inspection training participants will also participate in a competition. They will be split into three groups to identify defects hidden on three school buses. The fastest group with the most identified defects wins prizes provided by the South Carolina Department of Education. 

Afterward, representatives of Blue Bird, IC Bus, RIDE and Thomas Built Buses will provide one-hour overview training on aspects of inspecting various components on their school buses. Topics include inspection of a propane-autogas system, inspection of a wheelchair lift, an introduction to CEEA+architecture covering system layout, XMC inputs and outputs, CAN communication, power and ground distribution and more. 

Meanwhile, the inspection training is designed based on best practices from the South Carolina Department of Education, which operates the only state-owned and operated fleet in the country. The department’s maintenance team, which serves as the hands-on inspection and classroom instructors at STN EXPO East, was recognized as one of the nation’s top 10 Garage Stars last August by School Transportation News. Participants of the training will be learning directly from some of these recognized student transportation professionals.

School bus inspection training class size is limited to 50 participants to ensure the instructors will be able to provide a thorough training experience for everyone registered. Separate registration and fee are required to attend.

Save $100 on conference registration by registering before Feb. 14. Find the full conference agenda, list of unique trainings and experiences, exhibitor lists, and hotel information at stnexpo.com/east.

Related: Industry Veteran to Address Student Transportation Funding Uncertainty at STN EXPO East
Related: STN EXPO East Agenda Addresses Industry Challenges, Outlines Innovative Solutions
Related: WATCH: STN EXPO East Keynote Speaker to Outline Strategies for Creating Impactful Culture

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Reactive school bus maintenance could leave your district more vulnerable to breakdowns, higher costs and safety risks.

But with a data-driven approach, you can move past the hassles of the “break-fix” maintenance model and promote a healthier, higher-performing bus fleet. This guide will teach you how to:

Gain deeper, more actionable insights into school bus health with a fleet management solution.

Limit downtime, high repair costs and safety risks through data-driven maintenance schedules.

Predict maintenance needs and fix part issues before they break down.

Download this guide now for effective strategies to help improve your school bus fleet’s longevity, reliability and cost-efficiency through smarter maintenance.

Fill out the form below and then check your email for the white paper download link.

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