SESSER - Family, friends and colleagues of James "Shib" Miller were mourning the loss of the Sesser firefighter Friday afternoon, several hours after Miller was struck by a bus while battling a semi truck fire on Interstate 57.

The 22-year veteran of the Sesser Fire Department was putting hose back into one of the ladder trucks around 3 a.m. when he was struck and killed by a Greyhound bus traveling in the northbound lane of I-57, said Sesser fire safety officer Curtis Johnston.

What's frustrating was everyone did everything properly and someone still died, Johns-ton added.

The incident occurred at mile marker 75 north of Benton.

The Greyhound bus driver was cited for violating Scott's Law, which requires motorists yield to roadside emergency scenes by slowing and pulling into the farthest lane from the accident location, said Illinois State Police District 13 spokesman David Sneed.

The driver was also cited for improper lane usage.

No bus passengers were injured. Several passengers who spoke with police said the bus driver appeared "sleepy," Sneed said.

Traffic along the stretch of I-57 was backed up Friday morning, as emergency crews worked at the scene of the fire and accident.

Look for a complete report in Saturday's edition of The Southern Illinoisan.