[UPDATE: Kids Made It Home] Forty Schoolkids Trapped on Far Side of Accident on Hwy 101

Leggett Valley School

Photo of Leggett Valley School students from their Facebook page.

Almost half of Leggett Valley School’s student body likely won’t be getting home on time tonight. The semi which overturned spilling hydraulic fuel and used oil about two miles north of the Peg House in Mendocino closed their road home.

“The CHP told us it will be at least five hours–that is going to be 6 p.m.,” said Tony Loumena the Principal/Superintendent of the small school. “The kids will be well-supervised…We’ll feed them dinner.” Then parents can come get them when the road opens.

The only other option than waiting is for parents of the approximately 40 kids to drive over the Bell Springs Road. The school administration didn’t think it would be safe for the heavy school vans to drive the road.

“Some parents may have made alternate plans for their kids to stay elsewhere,” said Loumena but as many as forty families will be dealing with some rough roads and Bell Springs residents will be dealing with increased traffic from people unfamiliar with their road.

UPDATE: Hwy 101 will be closed until tomorrow morning. https://kymkemp.com/2016/10/18/where-to-go-now-that-101-is-closed/ (Note: Unconfirmed but we’re hearing the schoolkids were sent in a bus over the road which was closed for the night afterwards.)

UPDATE 9:12 p.m.: The highway was temporarily opened and the staff used that time to return the students home.

 

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15 Comments
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Ralph
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Ralph
7 years ago

Oh ok thanks.

Claire Perricelli
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Claire Perricelli
7 years ago

any new time estimates on reopening?

Coletta Hughes
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Coletta Hughes
7 years ago

I’m more concerned with the hydraulic fluid and used oil in our environment… How fast was this turkey going?? This section of the 101 is right next to the Eel river 1000 gallons is a lot of used oil and that should be the focus 🙁

ecl
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ecl
7 years ago
Reply to  Coletta Hughes

Yes one gallon of gasoline can contaminate one million gallons of drinking water

Henchman Of Justice
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Henchman Of Justice
7 years ago
Reply to  Coletta Hughes

No kidding, and to have to shut down the hwy is a reflection of the enormous magnitude of the toxic spill.

Guest
Guest
Guest
7 years ago

It’s not safe for anyone to drive that road

Virginia Graziani
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Virginia Graziani
7 years ago

Now hearing 101 will be closed until tomorrow (Weds) a.m.! This was what my friend trying to get south just now heard from the folks at the Renner station store in Cooks Valley/Richardson Grove. Needs to be verified, but sounds reliable.

Birdman
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Birdman
7 years ago

If that was a ganja farmer they would be charged with billions in fines felony environmental crimes. Loose everything and go to prison

Just saying

kd
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kd
7 years ago

Kevin Marsh here with KPFN 105.1lp-FM in Laytonville. Confirmed by officer Wonderlich oof the CHP office in Garberville. “If” conditions and clean up go accordingly? One way controlled traffic may resume early tomorrow morning. 10,000 gal. of oil and fluid were in the tanker. Not 6,000 earlier reported. He claimed all fluid was contained to the dirt in the east ditch and none had got into the river. That was at 4:20 p.m.

Guest
Guest
Guest
7 years ago

Great timing, first good rain, rivers just up, first run of fish, ya great timing

Melissa Bradley
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Melissa Bradley
7 years ago

Kym, the Chp and Cal Trans opened the road for us to take 2 vans full of kids as well as 3 of our teachers (in their personal vehicles that live north of the wreck) to caravan through. The kids arrived home about 5:30pm

Henchman Of Justice
Guest
Henchman Of Justice
7 years ago

May be weeks and weeks and weeks…..MONTHS…..before the spill is cleaned up.

Kym,

A story on how many “tanker spills” on the road would be interesting.

Fuels, milk, chemicals, water, dry chemicals, hay, logs, other materials.

No doubt the fault is driver error, speeding, fatigue.