Livingston Parish board honors Live Oak bus driver who kept students calm after head-on crash

The Livingston Parish School Board on April 2025 honored Christine Gidros, a Live Oak bus driver, for her actions after a head-on crash that struck the front corner of her bus.

Board members described the incident and praised Gidros for immediately checking every student after the crash. Gary Jones, principal at Live Oak High School, said when he arrived “the corner where she’s at was completely crushed,” and that Gidros “turned around checking on every kid and making sure that every single kid in there is as calm as can be.”

Jones told the board he arrived early in the morning after a teacher called saying a vehicle was driving erratically and then hit a bus on Highway 16. He said Gidros had already stood and was attending to students by the time he reached the bus. Emma Wade, a student who was on the bus, told the board, “Miss Chrissy did amazing, making sure all of us were okay and safe and calm.”

Other district staff and board members echoed that the students remained quiet and in their seats when officials arrived. One board member said the calmness on the bus was a reflection of the driver’s daily practices and training. The board presented Gidros with a certificate of appreciation and said video from the incident will be included in district training materials.

Superintendent Pervis and other administrators thanked all bus drivers for their daily service; the board noted lead driver Ms. Ballard and others who assisted at the scene. No formal motions or policy changes were recorded in relation to the crash; the recognition was ceremonial.