MURFREESBORO, TN (WGNS Radio) - A Friday (1/9/2026) afternoon crash involving a Murfreesboro City Schools bus and two other vehicles brought traffic to a crawl along SE Broad Street, but thankfully, every student on board walked away unharmed. The wreck happened near Kensington Drive on the Manchester Highway stretch of 41, a busy corridor even on a normal day.
Murfreesboro Police say the crash involved a car, a van, and the school bus. One person from one of the passenger vehicles was taken to the hospital for treatment, while the cause of the collision remains under investigation. Drivers in the area experienced significant delays as officers worked the scene and crews cleared the roadway.
What stands out about this crash is the timing. It unfolded right in that tricky late‑afternoon window when the sun has already dipped below the horizon, but the world hasn’t fully settled into nighttime. This time of year, sunset hits before 5:00PM, and the evening commute suddenly shifts into darkness. People are still driving as if it’s daylight, but visibility drops fast. Safety officials have long pointed to that 30‑ to 60‑minute period before and after sunset as one of the most dangerous stretches of the day, and this wreck fits that pattern almost exactly.
And while the focus is often on the crash itself, it’s hard not to think about the person behind the wheel of that school bus. Bus drivers rarely get the spotlight, but they shoulder an enormous responsibility. They’re out there in the cold, the rain, the early‑morning chaos, and the late‑day darkness, guiding dozens of kids safely from one place to another. They’re the first friendly face many students see in the morning and the last one they see before heading home.
They don’t simply “drive a bus.” They manage 40 to 70 young personalities at once, navigate unpredictable traffic, watch every driveway and intersection, and somehow still find ways to reassure nervous riders and keep routines steady. Days like today are a reminder of the quiet heroism that keeps a community running — and how fortunate we are when every child steps off that bus unharmed.
