The parents of a 16-year-old western Iowa girl who died in a school bus fire in December of 2017 are suing the Riverside School District.
Glen and Natalie Klindt filed the lawsuit Wednesday in Pottawattamie County. Their daughter Megan Klindt, along with a school bus driver 74-year-old Donald Hendricks, were killed in the December 12th fire.
The Klindts are claiming Hendricks and the Riverside School District were negligent in the case, resulting in the wrongful death of their daughter.
The fire happened on the road in front of the Klindts’ home when Hendricks backed out of the driveway and into a ditch on the morning of December 12th, 2017. The National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report shows the fire started in the engine compartment and spread to the passenger area.
Investigators say the rear wheels dropped into a three-foot ditch. Hendricks tried to pull it out, but the wheels lost traction. An autopsy determined Megan Klindt died of smoke and soot inhalation and thermal injuries.