A St. Thomas shuttle bus broke down shortly after 1 p.m., Feb. 9 on Cretin Avenue during a routine trip to the Minneapolis campus, spewing smoke and blocking a lane of traffic.

For many St. Thomas students, the intercampus shuttle service provides an efficient method of transportation to and from classes. The regular shuttle service makes routine stops at St. Thomas’ St. Paul and Minneapolis campuses.

St. Thomas senior Katie Benson uses the shuttle service for her entrepreneurship courses at the Minneapolis campus and was on the bus when it broke down.

“The bus started to smoke a little bit,” Benson said. “There was a weird smell.”

To ensure students remained relatively on time, a second shuttle bus arrived quickly. Students were directed to exit the smoking bus and board the newly arrived shuttle.

For Benson and the other students riding the shuttle, the event was harmless and the problem was fixed in a timely matter.

“The driver just pulled onto the side of the road and the other bus came to pick us up,” she said.

Benton Johnson can be reached at bcjohnson@stthomas.edu