I received a call on Thursday the 15th to drive the Jr. High basketball team to Blairsburg, Iowa for a 4:15 set of games. The weather was just so-so on the way down, but as we approached this small community in central Iowa the weather began to get much worse. I noticed as I had entered into town that the streets were extremely slick but the highways and interstate was clear. We arrived safely at the school and I settled in to watch the games.
After the 3rd quarter of the second game I returned to the bus to prepare for our trip home. Soon the bus was loaded and we were on our way. We entered the interstate & began our trek north. I noticed a very strong headwind but when you’re driving a transit bus (a flat nosed bus) almost any wind can feel strong.
By now the sun had long set and it was dark and traffic seemed heavy. Not more that 5 miles into our trip I noticed that something was very wrong just ahead on the side of the road. As we approached, I made out the outline of a semi tractor trailer in the median of the interstate. We were traveling about 60 mph when I realized that the cab of the truck was in the median but the trailer was setting across 1½ lanes of the road!
I touched the brakes and the bus immediately began to fishtail on me! BLACK ICE! The rear end of the bus came around on the passenger side. The coaches, seeing the situation, began telling the boy to hold on because we are going into the ditch. I immediately corrected by steering into the direction of the skid, the bus began to correct and straighten out only to slid past center and begin to come around on the drivers side! Mind you that the tractor trailer is closing in fast, I gently corrected again, hoping to take the ditch and not hit the trailer, when the bus responded perfectly and we passed by the end of the trailer.
One of the coaches said it was one of the greatest piece of driving that he had ever seen! The truth is that I had very little to do with the safe travel that night. It truly was a God Thing!
Praise the Lord for His watchcare & protection over us!
I Remain,
Pastor Steve
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