A 13 year-old Citra student was killed yesterday in an accident involving a Marion County school bus and a semi rig.  Reportedly the tractor-trailer driver was on his cell phone when his truck rammed into the back of the stopped bus.  Then both vehicles burst into flames.

The bus was carrying 21 middle and North Marion County High School students.  Florida Highway Patrol credits the drivers of passing vehicles with saving the lives of the other 20 students.  Of those 20 students, nine were taken to local hospitals, two with critical injuries. 

Witnesses said there were at least 4 by-standers who helped take the students from the burning bus.  For one of them it must have been very difficult as he said he tried to free the 13 year-old but was unable to save her. 

What should have been a minor 2-car auto accident ended up an eight-car crash that shut down southbound I-95 for over 5 hours. 

According to witnesses, the two initial vehicles bumped into each other on the New Haven Avenue overpass on I-95.  It appeared that bridge barriers gave the vehicles no place to go and one of them struck the outside wall of the bridge.  An eight-car pile up resulted, involving a fuel tanker, a rental truck and a rental trailer.  In addition to the fuel spill from the tanker, there were personal belongings from the trailer thrown all the highway and down to the street below.

Although there were multiple vehicles involved in the accident, luckily only one victim was taken to a nearby hospital in stable condition.

The recall of melamine-contaminated milk from China has now extended to several products made with milk.  After a creamy candy from White Rabbit tested positive for the melamine, officials from Singaport have banned the import of all milk products such as yogurt, yogurt bars, and ice cream.  The ban also includes products consumers might not relate to the contaminated milk such as chocolate, biscuits and other candy that have a milk ingredient.  The contamination apparently is effecting products from various companies all across Asia, including Starbucks, Nissin Foods and Nestle. 

The number of reported  infants who have become ill and have been hospitalized due to the contaminated milk has now risen to almost 13,000.