WEST HAMLIN, W.Va. — The Lincoln County school system is mourning the death of a former bus driver.
Dwyane Adkins, 53, of Branchland, was killed in a head-on crash on state Route 10 New Year’s Eve. Adkins retired last year, according to Lincoln County Schools Transportation Director Rod Cummings.
“He did a good job for us,” Cummings told MetroNews. “He worked and took care of the kids on the bus. He was just a decent employee for us.”
Police said Adkins’ vehicle went across the center line and into the path of an oncoming vehicle Saturday night at around 6:12 p.m.
Two other people were critically injured including Adkins’ wife Mary Adkins. She is being treated at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Huntington where authorties said she’s on a ventilator.
The driver of the other car, Jimmy Nelson, shattered one of his legs, but is expected to be okay. He’s recovering at Cabell Huntington Hospital.
Cummings said the loss of a school district employee is heartbreaking for the county and that no one should think they’re invincible.
“Just goes to show that anything can happen at any time. You have to really be cautious. I don’t know of any of the details about the accident, but I do know that every time you get on the road, we’re taking our lives in our hands,” he said.
Police are continuing to investigate. They said drug or alcohol use was not suspected as a factor of the crash.