It’s the beginning of the school year, and everyone from teachers to students to bus drivers are orienting themselves to new routines.

Here at the Eagle, we’ve reminded readers to be vigilant about being safe around school buses. In this very space only a few days ago, we discussed that need.

We’ve also advocated motorcycle safety and awareness in these pages, and we will continue to do so.

That need is not just about the physical safety of an individual. It’s about the safety and mental well-being of those who could be affected by a tragic incident.

On the first day of school for Knoch students on Wednesday, Aug. 21, one bus ride home turned tragic. A family lost a loved one, and a bus full of students may have been witness to it.

A 79-year-old man died in a collision at the intersection of Dinnerbell Road and Victory Road in Jefferson Township with the school bus. According to police reporting, the man and his motorcycle were stuck under the bus and dragged 30 feet, with about 20 children in the cabin above.

Another school bus was brought to ferry the uninjured children home, and the school district has offered counseling. But there’s no doubt this event will mean long-term trauma for a few, if not many, of the students.

All this while the family of the deceased grieves.

And routines — old and new — are thrown off.

As the school year begins, we need to press our friends and loved ones to be part of preventing similar tragedies from happening in the future.

— RJ