History behind Kelly fog days explained

BENTON -- It may have been 35 years since three local school children were killed in a bus accident one foggy morning, but the memory of that day remains clear in the minds of those families and community members of the Scott County R-4 "Kelly" School District.

Glenda Milam of Benton, whose 15-year-old son, Brian, was killed and 12-year-old son, Brock, was hospitalized with injuries, recalled the morning of Nov. 13, 1978, when the accident occurred on U.S. Highway 61, two miles south of Benton.

"The fog rolled in that morning ... as we all know it does get worse sometimes as the morning goes on," Milam recalled. "Then I got a call from a friend wondering which bus my children rode, and when I told him, he said he heard there was a bus wreck."

The accident occurred about 7:45 a.m. that day when the northbound school bus, which had stopped in heavy fog to load some children, was struck in the rear by a tractor-trailer gravel truck. Visibility the morning of the accident was reportedly less than 100 feet.

Milam she said and her husband went to the scene of the wreck, but no one could tell them for sure which children were hurt. They had already taken them to the hospital in Sikeston.

As the Milams arrived at the hospital with the other parents, they discovered their nephew, 15-year-old Rodney Milam, and 9-year-old Billy Nall were also killed.

In addition to Brock Milam, two other children, Jim Nall, 11, and Jackie Bailey, 7, were hospitalized while 16 others were treated and released.

"We came home and planned the funeral," Milam recalled.

The funeral was held in the school's gymnasium with over 1,000 people in attendance.

Within a couple of weeks, the school officials decided not to run buses in the fog. The tradition to delay the start of school in dense fog continues today.

Scott County R-4 "Kelly" Superintendent Fara Jones said she realizes delays to the start of a school day are very inconvenient, which is why she wanted to remind others about the reasoning behind them.

"I know it's frustrating for the parents who work because it's usually short notice, and they need to get to work and they're not sure what to do with their kids," Jones said. "I understand that, but it's just not worth the worry and the risk."

One general method used to measure fog in the rural areas is the distance between telephone poles, Jones said.

"When one pole is beside my car, I want to see two or three more," Jones said. "That gives me a distance to where if a vehicle is in front of me, I would have time to slow down and stop."

Because the Kelly School District includes such a vast area, there are several school officials checking for fog at one time, she said.

"We struggle with fog in the area over the river in Commerce and also some areas around Diehlstadt," Jones said. "Even coming off Benton hill and to Interstate 55 can have some dense fog."

Milam agreed.

"It's very unusual how the fog sets up here," Milam said. "The district is so much country that it may not be foggy in one spot and it is in another."

The school district encompasses Benton, Blodgett, Diehlstadt, Mini Farms in Miner, New Hamburg, Lusk Chapel and Commerce.

"There's no way I could drive the school district in an hour," Jones said.

The first bus must leave the school parking lot at 6:30 a.m. so the decision to delay school has to be made by 6:30 a.m., the superintendent said.

When delays are decided, they are usually for one hour, but sometimes they can be two hours, Jones said.

"If we have to miss more than two hours, we usually have to cancel school because we have to get a half day of school in order for it to get it counted as a full day," Jones said.

Parents are alerted of fog delays through the district's automated phone system and text message alerts, the superintendent said.

"I hope this (article) is an opportunity for us to communicate with our families to make them more aware of what goes on behind the decision, and it's a very conscious decision," Jones said. "It's not just one individual. There are a lot of us working together making the decision."

From time to time, Milam said she still looks through newspaper clippings, photo collages and the guestbook from her son's funeral.

"Anytime you lose a child, it really impacts the family," Milam said. "Your family is just not complete anymore, and it takes a while to get over the shock and keep things going."

The community came together to support the families impacted, and the 1978-1979 edition of the school's yearbook was dedicated to the three boys, Milam said.

"I always tell anyone who has lost somebody: you'll never get over it, but it does get easier," Milam said.

The driver of the grain truck was initially charged with careless and imprudent driving following a coroner's inquest, but he never served any time, according to Milam.

"It was an accident," she said. "You can't blame others. The truck driver was doing a job."

Even after everything, Milam said she still feels buses are the safest mode of transportation for students.

However, Milam encouraged motorists to use still common sense on the roadways.

"If you have to get out in the fog, drive very carefully. When they do delay school, you kids who drive, just be extra careful because your life is precious," Milam said.

She also offered advice to parents.

"Hug your children when they leave," Milam said. "You don't know if you're going to see them again or not."

The practice of delaying school in dense fog continues out of respect for the families affected and out of concern for safety of the students, Jones said.

"It just makes sense that you would not want your buses out on the roads in those conditions," Jones said.

She also noted because the accident occurred over 35 year ago, there are many families in the district who may not know about it. She's hoping that will change.

"... Maybe we don't always take the time to realize multiple families were impacted by that accident," Jones said. "Three children died."

She continued: "We've already suffered the tragedy once. We do not want to repeat that."