School bus demolition derby rocks Washington County Fairgrounds
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
A school bus is totaled and out of the running at the Washington County Fair’s annual demolition derby last year. The popular event returns this year.
After taking a hard hit, California Area School District's bus is stuck over the wall. A tractor lifted the front wheel, and the bus returned to the ring while the crowd cheered.
The Avella school bus resembles the Titanic in a famous scene after losing its rear wheel during the school bus demolition derby at the Washington County Fairgrounds.
Folks wait for the school bus demolition derby to begin at the Washington County Fair Wednesday evening. Spectators included an extra-terrestrial visitor, a prize won and proudly displayed amidst the crowd.
The school bus demolition derby stands for the national anthem Wednesday evening. An estimated 8,000 people gathered to watch the annual derby show.
The Chartiers-Houston school bus, left, takes a hard hit during the demolition derby. Though lifted off its wheels, the bus held its ground and landed, not quite softly, back on solid ground.
Chartiers-Houston collides with a competitor in the ring Wednesday night during the Washington County Fair's annual school bus demolition derby.
The crowd counts down and drivers wait for the wand to turn from red to green, to begin the highly anticipated second heat of the school bus demolition derby.
The Washington High School bus pummels Avella under the Ferris wheel lights Wednesday evening during the annual school bus demolition derby at the Washington County Fair.
As the Avella school bus takes a hit, the windshield breaks and falls forward, out of place. Doors and bumpers also flew through the air during the school bus demolition derby.
Lights from a carnival ride glow through the windows of Avella's bus during the annual school bus demolition derby.
A spectator waves his Terrible Towel while buses pummel each other in the ring during Wednesday night's school bus demolition derby at the Washington County Fair.
A mini school bus showdown served as an entertaining intermission Wednesday evening, during the Washington County Fair's annual school bus demolition derby. The Dumb and Dumber buses were sponsored by Pathways and C.R. Augenstein.
Buses and drivers are in place for the second heat of Wednesday night's school bus demolition derby. Twelve local high schools decorated buses in Talladega Nights-themed murals, which were destroyed by the end of the show.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Trinity High School’s demolition derby bus driver watches two competitors collide and waits for his opportunity to dish a hit Wednesday evening. Trinity reigned victorious at the Washington County Fair’s annual school bus demolition derby.
The crowd roars as buses smash into each other during the annual demolition derby Wednesday evening.
Crowds gathered under a beautiful sunset to watch 12 local high school buses pummel each other during the Washington County Fair's annual demolition derby. The grandstand filled quickly, and folks curled up on the hillside and stood along the railings to watch the show.
Mangled messes of school buses collide during the demolition derby Wednesday night. Trinity High School was the last bus standing.
The wheels on the bus don't go round and round; they drive lopsided. Though the bus was bruised, Trinity High School was not broken, and won the Wednesday night demolition derby.
Washington High School, right, is part of a three-way collision that sends metal flying about the ring. The high school competed against 11 other area districts in the school bus demolition derby Wednesday night.
Lights from fair rides are reflected in the Chartiers-Houston School District's bus during the demolition derby Wednesday evening.
A Canton Township firefighter watches as a school bus careens over the wall during the demolition derby Wednesday evening. The Chartiers fire department, Canonsburg EMS and Allegheny Health Network EMS were also on site.
Bentworth plows into several competing buses during the school bus demolition derby Wednesday night. Twelve area schools decorated their buses in Talladega Nights-themed murals, which were unrecognizable works of art by the end of the show.
Peters Township High School's bus threatens to tip after taking a hit during the annual demolition derby. Crowds cheered when their school's vehicle delivered particularly brutal punches.
Dust swirls and wheels whirl as buses collide inside the ring Wednesday evening.
The Washington County Fair introduced for the first time a mini bus demolition derby. The Dumb and Dumber buses, sponsored by Pathways and C.R. Augenstein, were driven by Raymond Recktenwald (Dumb) and Rob Moore (Dumber).
Parts litter the ring and Fort Cherry collides with a competitor while the crowd cheers behind the ring during the annual school bus demolition derby.
The California Area High School bus remains intact, but stuck, after taking a hard hit from a competitor. The bus was rescued by a tractor and returned to the ring with fanfare.
It isn't the apocalypse; it's the annual school bus demolition derby. Battered buses press on, colliding to the sounds of applause, and running until they can't inside the grandstand ring at the Washington County Fair.
It was standing room only in the grandstand Wednesday evening, when an estimated 8,000 people crowded the bleachers and curled up on the hillside to watch the Washington County Fair’s annual school bus demolition derby.
Twelve local high schools rode for glory. Trinity High School, driven by Shawn Moore, took hits and stood standing until the end, defeating Chartiers-Houston, Bentworth, Peters, Fort Cherry, Avella, Beth-Center, Ringgold, Washington High, McGuffey, California Area and Charleroi for bragging rights as victor.
During the first heat, drivers in Talladega Nights-themed buses backed into one another, and sounds of shredded metal filled the arena. By the third round, the wheels on the buses were hardly going round and round; windshields and doors flew through the air, and the California Area School District bus barreled over the wall to cheers from the crowd.
“Some of the buses, after that first heat, don’t make it back,” laughed Wayne Hunnell, fair secretary. “They were getting pretty well banged up.”
Between heats, the fair for the first time welcomed to the ring two mini school buses sporting Dumb and Dumber murals and bearing the names of the derby’s sponsors: Pathways and C.R. Augenstein.
The minis seemed poised to smash each other to smithereens, but, perhaps aptly, the Dumber vehicle stalled out and took a minor beating from Dumb. Following the championship round of the school bus derby, the mini buses returned to center stage for one final showdown.
Crowds remained enthralled by the derby from sunset to dark, erupting in applause when buses teetered on their sides or doors fell off their hinges. The school bus demolition derby is one of the biggest event attractions, Hunnell said, and Wednesday marked the fair’s largest attendance as of press time Thursday.