Galloway School Board Honors Those Who Helped Following Bus Accident

On March 29, 2012, when an SUV and a school bus leaving the with 30 students on board , Superintendent of Schools Dr. Annette Giaquinto praised the school staff and members of the community for their help in the immediate aftermath.

Three Smithville residents were the first on the scene, and at Monday night’s meeting at the , the Galloway Township recognized them and the 32 district staff members who assisted following the crash that sent 18 children and the driver of the SUV to the hospital.

“I was surprised that we were even honored because anyone would’ve stopped to help those kids,” said Connie Walls, one of the first people to come across the accident that day.

“I was travelling on Moss Mill Road and I saw the school bus was stopped,” Walls said. “I didn’t think anything of it, but then I saw all these children exiting the bus.”

Walls said the children were scared and screaming, and she immediately pulled over. She got out of her car and began gathering the children into groups in an attempt to calm them down.

Smithville resident Josephine Luarenzano came across the scene at the same time, and she also stopped to offer some help. Walls called her friend, Beth Reed, to the scene to assist with the children who were injured. Reed is a nurse at

“She worked with the injured kids and I helped with the tears,” said Walls, a teacher at the Port Republic School.

Reed’s presence had another soothing effect, as she brought her two children with her.

“I had my daughter with me and she was quite frightened,” said Walls, whose daughter is eight years old. “She wanted to know what was happening. It was scary to see so many kids involved.”

Once Walls’ daughter and Reed’s two children were together, the three managed to keep each other calmed while their parents tended to the school children.

“We were so busy, and then I suddenly realized there were members of the school there,” Walls said.

Members of the school staff who arrived on the scene and were also honored Monday night included: Kim Alcorn, Carol Banks, Mark Bisignaro, Joy Booye, Angela Cappelluti, Matt DaCostaLobo, Jill Fernandez, Donna Ferrara, Julie Fields, Sue Flicker, Jamie Gillespie, Jennifer Glascock, Kathie Hathaway, Carol Houck, Ellen Kell, Julie Mandes, Alison Marcello, Kim Monroe, Marilyn Moore, Priscilla Muller, Mary Anne Nigro, Patrick O’Keefe, Trisha Rotellini, Anna Schenauer, Heather Silver, Carol Somers, Christina Stamelos, Jennifer Uthoff, Helen Viscuglia, Lauren Wheaton, Linda Wimberg and Lindsey Zabelski.

Even after the staff showed up, the residents stuck around to help out.

“We were there until the scene was cleared,” Walls said. “ … Once I saw those kids, I had to stop. I couldn’t turn to leave.”