New York State Police say the driver whose bus rolled over Monday with 40 Pittsford Mendon high school students on board won’t face any charges.
Troopers say Joseph Rallo of East Rochester was driving in horrible conditions with limited visibility when he came on two cars that had spun out on I-81, blocking both lanes. He took the bus onto the shoulder in an effort to avoid a head-on crash, but it rolled onto its side in the snow.
John Tillotson, the EMS Chief of the Marathon Volunteer Ambulance Corps, says Rallo is a hero. He says the way the East Rochester man handled the bus likely saved lives and avoid a disaster.
Chief Tillotson says the students were mostly able to get out of the overturned bus on their own, and he says they also deserve credit for handling the situation calmly and cooperating with first responders. He says their parents should be proud.
Pittsford Central parents want to know why four busloads of high school students were sent off to New York City in Monday’s snow. By the time they reached Cortland County, officials there had declared a “no unnecessary travel” advisory.