Wife Watches in Horror as Bus Slams into Husband Outside Their Montana Home
A Montana woman’s life changed in an instant on Monday morning when she watched her husband die in front of their home after a Golden Arrow bus ploughed into him while attempting to avoid an earlier crash.
Shaun Francis, a butcher and father of five, had just left his house on Valhalla Drive in Woodstock and was on his way to work when tragedy struck at about 6.30am on 15 June 2026.
What began as a collision between two bakkies on the road outside the family home quickly spiralled into a multi-vehicle crash that claimed two lives and left several others injured.
Francis had stepped outside after the initial accident drew residents into the street. According to his wife, Marilyn, he phoned her from the scene while she watched from the kitchen window.
Moments later, she saw a Golden Arrow bus approach.
Marilyn recounted the harrowing sequence of events to the Daily Voice.
“When the accident happened, I went to the scene because I saw it happen from the window.
“When I got there, he was already dead.
“There was an accident before that – two cars had crashed. I was asking him about it. We were on the phone.
“Then the bus came. I thought it was his bus.
“But the bus went into the other lane and bumped the other two cars.
“When that happened, I saw him standing there, and when the bus went past, he was gone.”
The bus had reportedly attempted to avoid the stationary vehicles from the earlier crash. In doing so, it veered into the opposite lane and collided with the vehicles and Francis, who was standing nearby.
By the time Marilyn reached him, there was nothing she could do. He died on impact.
Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk confirmed the incident and said a second person also lost their life in the crash. The deceased was a passenger travelling in a Datsun company vehicle, who succumbed to injuries sustained during the collision.
Several others were injured and transported to nearby hospitals for treatment.
According to police, the driver of the Datsun sustained serious head and leg injuries, while another passenger suffered minor injuries. Both were taken to hospital by emergency medical services.
A blue Opel Astra involved in the crash was driven by a 29-year-old man who suffered minor head and leg injuries.
A Kia delivery vehicle transporting bread was also caught up in the collision. Its driver sustained serious head and leg injuries, while his 24-year-old passenger suffered minor injuries. Both were transported to hospital for medical care.
Golden Arrow Bus Service spokesperson Bronwen Dyke-Beyer confirmed that one of the company’s buses was involved in the crash. She said the bus driver was in extreme shock following the incident.
In a statement, the company said: “Golden Arrow can confirm that an incident occurred at approximately 6.30am on Monday, 15 June 2026, in the Montana area.
“According to preliminary information available at this stage, one of our buses was involved in a collision after encountering stationary vehicles on the roadway and attempting to avoid them.
“The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation, and details are still being established.
“We can confirm that there were two fatalities and several injuries as a result of the incident.
“Golden Arrow is co-operating fully with the relevant authorities, and our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragic incident.”
The early morning crash unfolded in full view of residents in the quiet neighbourhood. For Marilyn, the trauma is compounded by the fact that she witnessed her husband’s final moments from the very window of their home.
Francis, described by neighbours as a hard-working family man, was on his way to work when he stopped to observe the first collision. The chain of events that followed happened within minutes.
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding both the initial collision between the two bakkies and the subsequent crash involving the bus and multiple vehicles.
It remains unclear whether any charges will be brought, as investigators piece together exactly how the bus encountered the stationary vehicles and why it moved into the opposite lane.
The incident has raised fresh concerns about road safety and the dangers posed by motorists exiting their vehicles at accident scenes, particularly during peak traffic hours.
For now, however, the focus remains on the two lives lost and the families left behind.
Francis leaves behind his wife and five children. On what should have been a routine Monday morning, their lives were irreversibly altered.
As authorities continue their investigation, the Montana community is grappling with the aftermath of a crash that unfolded in seconds but will have lasting consequences for those who witnessed it — especially a wife who saw her husband standing one moment and gone the next.
