School bus driver who died in Gaithersburg crash identified by union

The union that represents Montgomery County Public Schools bus drivers identified Rodney Givens as the worker who had a medical emergency and died after crashing into a Gaithersburg utility pole Tuesday — the first day of school.

“SEIU 500 extends its deepest sympathies to the family of Rodney Givens, who died unexpectedly on duty this week. Rodney was a devoted bus driver at MCPS who loved his job working with the children of the MCPS community,” the union said on Facebook.

Givens, who is survived by his wife and two children, was devoted to his family, according to the union, which also said he held a leadership position in its transportation division.

No students were on the bus when it crashed shortly after 3 p.m. near the intersection of Central Avenue off Maryland Route 355, Montgomery County Police said. Givens was pronounced dead at the scene.

After the incident, police closed parts of Central Avenue while they investigated. NBC4 Washington footage from the crash site showed the bus off the road under a canopy of trees.

Givens’ son described his father as selfless on a GoFundMe page to cover funeral expenses and support the family. He called his father’s death “heartbreaking.”

“My father passed away after suffering a heart attack while driving a school bus,” the fundraising statement said. “The bus then crashed, and we are deeply grateful that no one else was involved or injured.”

The statement added that Givens enjoyed his job and “loved and cherished his family more than anything.”

“Losing him so suddenly has left us devastated and trying to face something we never imagined,” the statement said. “In the wake of my father’s passing, my mom, my 12-year-old brother, and I are doing our best to hold each other up and find a way forward together through this pain.”

The GoFundMe aims to raise $12,000. Donors contributed more than $7,000 as of Friday morning.

One donor to the fundraiser commented: “Your dad was my kids bus driver for a few years. He was amazing with my elementary aged kids. They were so excited to see him Tuesday morning because he was their bus driver and a constant in their school experience. Thank you for sharing him with us. We are so sorry for your loss.”