The scene on U.S. Highway 80 and Dallas County Road 44 was not an easy one to grasp early Tuesday morning. A tractor-trailer crumbled into pieces and a school bus smashed from behind would have made any person’s stomach turn.

But for any bystander or passerby, there was a sense of calm over surrounding the accident scene.

Obviously, any person informed about the students on Dallas County school bus No. 6 knew the children were safe, and none were seriously injured. But that wasn’t the only reason for the calm.

Dallas County Superintendent Wayne May, who is out of the office after a surgical procedure, has two assistant superintendents: Freeman Waller and Don Willingham. Both of those men were on the scene early Tuesday morning to ensure the children were safe and the families were assured of their children’s well-being.

“Part of my job was to communicate with the parents,” Waller said.

Much of the credit for the calmness at the accident scene can be given to Waller and Willingham.

At the same time, every member of local law enforcement was stationed on U.S. 80 to make sure the wreck scene was secure. From the Alabama State Troopers, to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department, to the Selma Police Department, to the Selma Fire Department; every key agency was at the scene Tuesday to make sure traffic bypassed the accident scene.

The people of Selma and Dallas County do a lot of griping about the problems with our schools and our law enforcement. Sometimes, there is merit to the complaints. Other times, there is not.

On Tuesday morning, the professionalism of every agency at the scene of this accident played an integral role in the recovery and clean-up of a horrific accident.

It’s nice to see our law enforcement and rescue personnel do a job well done.