A BUSLOAD of schoolchildren had a close brush with death yesterday in Killea.
The driver and passengers had a lucky escape when a plank of wood and a ladder flew off a passing trailer and through the window.
The plank missed the driver of the bus by inches and slammed against an unoccupied seat.
The bus, carrying children from An Leanbh Iosa National School in Carrigans, was stopped at the roadside between Killea and Newtown at the time.
The children, aged between six and 12, were said to be badly shaken by the incident.
“The driver was just dropping off one of the kids at the time,” said one parent.
A van, towing a trailer, heading in the direction of Derry, went passed when the plank and ladder were blown off.
“It was just a pure freak,” the parent said.
“There was a bungee cord holding down the plank and the ladder and they just shot through the window of the bus.
“The driver was so lucky – if that plank had been any lower, it could have taken the head off him and I dread to think what could have been if any of the kids had been in the seat where it landed.
“They were so close to an absolute tragedy here. Someone must have been looking down on them.”
