Training pays off for Land O’Lakes bus monitors

Jeff Green | Mar 29, 2017

Morgan Cowdy (14) and Austin Barker (8) are the bus monitors on a Martin’s bus that takes them to Land O’Lakes Public School (LOLPS) each day. On Monday (March 27) the bus was running late because of icy roads. It was almost at the end of the route at 8:30 in the morning when it crossed over Hwy 7 from the Frontenac Road to go  a short way up the Bell Line Road to pick up the last of its students before turning back and heading to the school.

As the bus was heading up a hill it hit glare ice and began to slide sideways and it eventually came to a stop, blocking the entire road. The driver, Joe Borg, told the two monitors to make sure everyone stayed in their seats, as he got off the bus to put out flares on the road to warn oncoming traffic about the hazard.

“Then he fell pretty hard on the ice,” said Morgan Cowdy when interviewed the next day.

It was clear that Borg was injured, as he did not move right away after falling, and then was struggling to get back to the bus.

“Morgan said she was going to help him get back and asked me to watch the kids on the bus and make sure no one came to the front,” said Austin Barker.

So, even though bus monitors are told not to leave the bus, Morgan Cowdy got off the bus to see if the driver needed assistance.

“I didn’t go far, because we are not supposed to leave the bus but he was looking pretty shaky,” she said.

In the end Joe Borg made it back to the bus on his own.

“Joe sat in the driver’s seat at first and then he  sat down on the floor because he was dizzy. He told us to use the radio to call for help, and I asked Austin to make the call because I was so nervous,” said Morgan.

Austin called the bus company on the radio, and was trying to explain what was going on, when he noticed a Central Frontenac sand truck headed towards them from the other end of the road. Morgan called her father, who works for the township roads department as well, and her father called the sand truck operator on the Bell Line Road just as he was reaching the bus and he was the first one to arrive and offer assistance.

“He asked Joe if he wanted to lay down, but he said he didn’t and he stayed there, leaning on my leg to keep his balance,” said Morgan

By now the school and emergency services had been notified, and Austin went over to help the rest of the kids on the bus, some of whom were visibly upset.

Emily Yanch, Principal of LOLPS, was the next on the scene,  followed by a backup driver.

“The kids had done a great job already and I did what I could. I don’t know how the bus even made it that far up that hill because it was glare ice. My car barely made it.

The ambulance arrived and made it to the scene. Joe Borg was taken to Perth hospital and was then transferred to Smiths Falls for a scan. He was released later but reportedly then returned to the hospital later on. There was no further word on his condition as of Tuesday afternoon.

“Two of the kids on the bus were crying because they were scared,” said Austin.

“We went to them and held them a bit, and they were ok after that,” said Morgan.

The students ended up staying on the bus, which did not turn around but traveled to the far end of Bell Line road where it meets Road 509, before taking 509 south and then Hwy 7 west from Sharbot Lake to Mountain Grove, not reaching the school until 10:10.

Morgan said she was feeling a bit “weird” for the rest of the day, and on the bus ride home. She said she was feeling better the next day, “but I am worried about how Joe is doing,” she said.

Austin also said he was worried about Joe.

“The kids came through, they did an amazing job yesterday. Some kids would not have the where with all to do what they did,” said Principal Yanch.

Cathy Borg, Joe’s wife, said that he is suffering from a severe concussion and deep bruising. She said that the children did very well on Monday to help him out, but that the accident should never have happened because the township should have ordered their road crews out before the buses were on the road.

“I hold the township responsible for this. Joe drives up and down the Frontenac Road and the Bell Line Road every day and we have asked many times this winter for crews to sand and salt and clear the roads before the bus goes out and they haven’t done it.”

She said that the road crew that came to help out after Joe fell should not have been sanding the road at 8:30, but should have been there a couple of hours earlier.

“It’s pretty basic to sand the roads before the school bus comes. We are lucky that none of the children were injured. I don’t know what Joe is going to do. He is pretty badly injured. Who knows when he will drive again,” she said. “It is time the township did something about this. The have been told about it again and again and now this happened. They are at fault.”