Daughter of Reverend Charlie Garner and Vinnie Sanders Garner. She was killed in the Silverstreet Bus-Train Accident in December, 1946. Charlene and three of her first cousins were among the twelve who were killed in this accident.
Train-School Bus Collision: Silver Street, South Carolina (also near Old Town, S.C.)
Time and Date: 8:10 a.m., December 18, 1946
Weather conditions: Cold and rain
Event: School bus drives on to rail grade crossing in front on an approaching train.
Injuries: 11school bus passengers and bus driver die, 10 school bus passengers injured.
Accident report: Interstate Commerce Commission Investigation No. 3050
Description of the collision: School bus driver Richard Sanders was crossing the single track line when a Southern Railway passenger train traveling at about 45 mph struck the bus. While there were no signals at the crossing, an advance railroad-crossing sign was located 250 feet north of the crossing. And standard cross-buck railroad-crossing signs were located on the highway 13 feet both north and south of the center-line of the track. Evidently Sanders was not preparing to stop at the crossing due to the fact that he had to get up enough speed to get up and over the raised railroad track roadbed. Plus, with trees lining the road, it was impossible for Sanders to see the train coming before getting onto the tracks. Seven families lost children, often with one sibling surviving and the other dying. Two children were later found in the train engine's cowcatcher. A marker was placed at the site on December 18, 2000 commemorating the accident.
Cause of accident: "It is found that this accident was caused by failure to operate a school bus approaching a railroad crossing at grade in accordance with requirements of law." -- ICC #3050
Train-School Bus Collision: Silver Street, South Carolina (also near Old Town, S.C.)
Time and Date: 8:10 a.m., December 18, 1946
Weather conditions: Cold and rain
Event: School bus drives on to rail grade crossing in front on an approaching train.
Injuries: 11school bus passengers and bus driver die, 10 school bus passengers injured.
Accident report: Interstate Commerce Commission Investigation No. 3050
Description of the collision: School bus driver Richard Sanders was crossing the single track line when a Southern Railway passenger train traveling at about 45 mph struck the bus. While there were no signals at the crossing, an advance railroad-crossing sign was located 250 feet north of the crossing. And standard cross-buck railroad-crossing signs were located on the highway 13 feet both north and south of the center-line of the track. Evidently Sanders was not preparing to stop at the crossing due to the fact that he had to get up enough speed to get up and over the raised railroad track roadbed. Plus, with trees lining the road, it was impossible for Sanders to see the train coming before getting onto the tracks. Seven families lost children, often with one sibling surviving and the other dying. Two children were later found in the train engine's cowcatcher. A marker was placed at the site on December 18, 2000 commemorating the accident.
Cause of accident: "It is found that this accident was caused by failure to operate a school bus approaching a railroad crossing at grade in accordance with requirements of law." -- ICC #3050
Daughter of Reverend Charlie Garner and Vinnie Sanders Garner. She was killed in the Silverstreet Bus-Train Accident in December, 1946. Charlene and three of her first cousins were among the twelve who were killed in this accident.
Train-School Bus Collision: Silver Street, South Carolina (also near Old Town, S.C.)
Time and Date: 8:10 a.m., December 18, 1946
Weather conditions: Cold and rain
Event: School bus drives on to rail grade crossing in front on an approaching train.
Injuries: 11school bus passengers and bus driver die, 10 school bus passengers injured.
Accident report: Interstate Commerce Commission Investigation No. 3050
Description of the collision: School bus driver Richard Sanders was crossing the single track line when a Southern Railway passenger train traveling at about 45 mph struck the bus. While there were no signals at the crossing, an advance railroad-crossing sign was located 250 feet north of the crossing. And standard cross-buck railroad-crossing signs were located on the highway 13 feet both north and south of the center-line of the track. Evidently Sanders was not preparing to stop at the crossing due to the fact that he had to get up enough speed to get up and over the raised railroad track roadbed. Plus, with trees lining the road, it was impossible for Sanders to see the train coming before getting onto the tracks. Seven families lost children, often with one sibling surviving and the other dying. Two children were later found in the train engine's cowcatcher. A marker was placed at the site on December 18, 2000 commemorating the accident.
Cause of accident: "It is found that this accident was caused by failure to operate a school bus approaching a railroad crossing at grade in accordance with requirements of law." -- ICC #3050
Train-School Bus Collision: Silver Street, South Carolina (also near Old Town, S.C.)
Time and Date: 8:10 a.m., December 18, 1946
Weather conditions: Cold and rain
Event: School bus drives on to rail grade crossing in front on an approaching train.
Injuries: 11school bus passengers and bus driver die, 10 school bus passengers injured.
Accident report: Interstate Commerce Commission Investigation No. 3050
Description of the collision: School bus driver Richard Sanders was crossing the single track line when a Southern Railway passenger train traveling at about 45 mph struck the bus. While there were no signals at the crossing, an advance railroad-crossing sign was located 250 feet north of the crossing. And standard cross-buck railroad-crossing signs were located on the highway 13 feet both north and south of the center-line of the track. Evidently Sanders was not preparing to stop at the crossing due to the fact that he had to get up enough speed to get up and over the raised railroad track roadbed. Plus, with trees lining the road, it was impossible for Sanders to see the train coming before getting onto the tracks. Seven families lost children, often with one sibling surviving and the other dying. Two children were later found in the train engine's cowcatcher. A marker was placed at the site on December 18, 2000 commemorating the accident.
Cause of accident: "It is found that this accident was caused by failure to operate a school bus approaching a railroad crossing at grade in accordance with requirements of law." -- ICC #3050
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