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Texas Bus Crash Survivors and Relatives Honor Emergency Workers

Bus crash survivors and relatives of those who died in the bus accident returned to the area in Sherman, Texas on Sunday to celebrate Mass and honor city officials for their assistance.  Those who joined the celebration stated that a bond had been created between the small north Texas city and the Houston area’s Vietnamese community.

Approximately 50 people arrived on buses and in sport utility vehicles to the location where the tour bus crashed on August 8th.  The tour bus was carrying members of a Houston-area Vietnamese Catholic group.  There were 17 victims of the crash and a vase was set up for each of them, forming a semi-circle around a 6-foot wooden cross.

The group went to Sherman’s city hall after Mass and praised Mayor Bill Magers and the city’s emergency personnel.

Thai Pham, president of a victim’s group said, “You gave us strength in our faith in our darkest hour.   We're thankful that our loved ones found somewhere humane and dignified during their last moments of life."  Pham noted the new ties that bonded the Vietnamese community with the Sherman area.  She also thanked the local police and fire departments, hospitals, health department and American Red Cross for their help.  The mayor was even presented with a plaque.

Officer Rob Ballew was one of the first police officers at the scene of the bus crash.  He said that Sunday’s gesture was unexpected.  Ballew was impressed that the group was able to do this after such an awful tragedy.

The bus that crashed in August was carrying 55 individuals on a trip from Houston to Carthage, Missouri when it blew a tire and went through a guardrail.  It eventually came to rest on an embankment.

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