2 People Including School Bus Driver Killed In Fiery 1-84 Crash

EAST HARTFORD, CT — A Pennsylvania man and a South Windsor woman, who was driving a school bus, have been identified as the two people who were killed in a fiery four vehicle crash that shut down a section of Interstate 84 in East Hartford for more than 12 hours Monday.

Verlean A. Douglas, 67, of Avery Street in South Windsor and Norman B. Bliss, 52, of Etters, PA have been identified by State Police Tuesday as the two people killed in the crash. They were both in separate vehicles. Douglas was driving a First Student school bus at the time of the accident. No students were onboard at the time of the crash.

There were six people involved in the four-vehicle crash and the four who survived had no apparent injuries, according to State Police.

In its accident summary, State Police say two tractor trailers and a school bus were stopped on I-84 West in the center lane of three, adjacent to the connecting ramp from Route 2 West. Bliss, who was in a tractor-trailer, was traveling on I-84 West in the center lane of three, approaching the rear of the stopped school bus.

Bliss "took evasive action by braking and steering to the left partially entering into the left lane of three. Vehicle #4 (Bliss) was unable to stop in time. Vehicle #4's front end collided into (the school bus' rear end)," State Police said.

As a result of the crash, it set off a chain reaction where the school bus was forced into vehicle two and vehicle two then was forced into vehicle one, State Police said.

"Vehicle #4 continued into the left lane, jack-knifed, and subsequently caught fire. The fire spread to Vehicle #3, Vehicle #2, and the rear trailer portion of Vehicle #1," State Police said.

Both Bliss and the school bus driver, Douglas, were killed. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.

WFSB 3 TV reports that Verlean drove students from Hartford, East and New Hartford, South Windsor and Avon over four decades. Her daughter, Jocelyn Ritchens, told WFSB 3, that her mother just "wanted to make sure the kids were safe." A candlelight vigil is planned.