On December 1, 1938, as a school bus traveled through a snowy, foggy storm toward Jordan High School and a loaded Denver and Rio Grande freight train headed north toward Salt Lake City, the bus stopped at the railroad crossing at 10200 South and 400 West. The driver opened the door to look beyond the thick fog but did not see the more than 80-car "Flying Ute" train approaching at over 50 miles per hour. At 8:43 a.m., the bus moved slowly forward across the tracks, and although the train crew immediately applied the brakes when they saw the bus, the collision was inevitable. The crash killed 23 children and the bus driver, and the 15 survivors endured lifelong physical injuries and emotional scars. Because Jordan High was then the only high school serving the present-day boundaries from the Cottonwood Canyons to 8400 West and Point of the Mountain to 6400 South, the loss touched the entire South Salt Lake Valley, leaving no family untouched. The accident drew local and national mourning and brought support from religious, charitable, and governmental organizations, while media coverage prompted investigations into ways to prevent similar disasters. From this tragedy came lasting safety measures, including railroad crossing laws, mechanical crossing arms, and the continuing requirement that bus drivers stop at crossings and open their door and driver-side window to look and listen for oncoming trains.