HARTVILLE, Ohio — Many are still recovering after the deadly bus crash in Licking County Tuesday. The Tuscarawas community continues to rally together to raise money and show support for everyone impacted.
For Valerie Wichert, her dad, Don Wagler, is her world.
“He’s extremely friendly, and everybody loves him,” Wichert said. "He was our hero way before this happened.”
But Tuesday morning, one notification turned Wichert's world upside down.
“It had popped up like as a news thing on my mom's phone and she screenshot it, sent it to all of us and then just sent a message and said, 'Don, are you ok? I hope this isn't you?'" Wichert added. “And a couple of minutes later, she got a phone call from the bus company that said it was my dad.”
Wagler was driving the Pioneer Trails charter bus carrying Tuscarawas Valley High School band members, staff, and parents to a convention in Columbus. Three students and three adults died in the fiery crash Tuesday. The community continued to rally together this weekend, raising money for families impacted.
“Every single person was affected in some way or another by this tragedy that’s happened," said Rebecca Ragon, Business Development Director, at The Ragon House. “My daughter goes to school there, and everybody wanted to do something.”
Wagler has had three surgeries since the crash and remains hospitalized. Wichert said she hasn’t discussed details of the crash with her father yet but knows he helped save many lives.
“With the bus catching fire, I'm not sure that the doors would have opened because of mechanical,” Wichert said. “So, the first thing he did was open up the door and was trying to get kids out the door.”
Wagler has worked for Pioneer Trails for 20 years. The crash is weighing on him.
“It's really taking a toll on him emotionally and physically,” Wichert said. “He's absolutely exhausted.”
Despite the long road of recovery that lies ahead for her dad, Wichert is grateful. She couldn’t imagine losing her dad in such a tragic way.
“He is everything to us,” Wichert said. “I can't imagine that.”
