As the Bellevue Reporter went to press on Monday, I didn’t know who won the football game between Bellevue and Capital High School for the chance to play for the state title.

Like many people, I suspect this wasn’t the most important thing on my mind.

Instead, I was grateful that no one died in the crash last Friday of the bus that was carrying seniors and starters on the team to the semi-final game in Tacoma.

A bus crash – involving kids: it’s every parent’s worst nightmare.

State Patrol Troopers and medic personnel on the scene said it was “very lucky” that no one died. The bus had to swerve to avoid a ladder that had fallen off another vehicle. In doing so, it bumped the back of a semi truck and then skidded and fell on its side. The players and coaches crawled to safety through an escape hatch in the roof and through the front windshield that had shattered from the impact.

The most serious injury was said to be a concussion.

The crash once again brings to mind the danger of motorists not securing things on their cars and trucks. Witnesses said the ladder came off a red pickup and fell onto I-5. The driver didn’t stop and the police are looking for him or her.

Failure to properly secure a load is a crime. When the driver is caught, there should be punishment.

I suspect we’ve all been guilty of not properly securing a load on our car or truck. I know I have. In my case, it was a drawer from a dresser that slid out and onto the road. Fortunately, it landed off to the side of traffic lanes. Still.

Columnist Pat Cashman wrote a humorous piece this week about his past problems with things falling off a car or truck. Pat wrote the column before the bus crash happened, but because of the recent incident with the Bellevue High School football team, I’ve decided to hold it for a few weeks. I’m pretty sure there still are a number of parents – and players – shaken up by last week’s event.

The holiday season probably is a time when these accidents are more likely to happen. We tie a Christmas tree on top of the car, secure (we hope) a big TV or other unwieldy item in our trunk, or pack up a car-top carrier to take things to relatives’ houses. All of them are potential accidents waiting to happen.

Short of having an enclosed truck to transport items, we all face the danger of having items fall off our vehicles.

Fortunately, accidents like this don’t happen very often. However, when they do, it can be a nightmare come true.