August 2023: SBF Accident Report Roundup

School is back in session for many students across the country, putting more school buses on the road. School Bus Fleet has a roundup of recent accidents involving school buses. Those include:

• Georgia woman killed in school bus crash.
• Motorcyclists killed after colliding with Washington school bus.
• Students hospitalized after Idaho school bus rollover.

Georgia Woman Killed in School Bus Crash

The Walton County Sheriff’s Office and Georgia State Patrol are investigating a deadly crash involving a school bus. The crash happened on Georgia 81 on Aug. 8.

State Police released details to School Bus Fleet, reporting that an SUV was turning left onto the road the Walton County school bus was on. The SUV driver reportedly failed to yield, causing a collision. Police noted that the road the SUV driver was turning from had a stop sign. That driver, identified as Ashley Callahan, was killed in the crash.

The school bus driver was transporting their two children. They were not injured.

Callahan was a former teacher with Walton County Schools. Her husband is an assistant principal at one of the schools on the distrct. The district released a statement to WSB, saying in part, "[Ashley] made a difference in the lives of her many students and all those fortunate enough to know her."

Georgia State Police is investigating the crash. It's unclear whether the bus was on the road after completing its afternoon route, or whether it was on the road for another reason.

Motorcyclists Killed After Colliding with Washington School Bus

A man and a woman were killed after their motorycle collided with a school bus in Tacoma, Washington, on Aug. 12 just after 10 a.m.

Washington State Patrol told King5 that no passengers were onboard the bus at the time of the crash, and that the driver was not injured.

School Bus Fleet reached out to Washington State Patrol for more information.

Students Hospitalized After Idaho School Bus Rollover

Eleven people were injured when a school bus rolled over in southern Idaho on Aug. 4. The bus was carrying students attending a YMCA summer camp when it crashed on State Highway 55 near Meridian. Idaho State Police reported that of those injured, seven were in critical condition. The agency noted that all children on the bus were transported to hospitals by air or ground ambulance in an abundance of caution.

As of Aug. 7, Idaho State Police reported that nearly all children had been released to their families.

The bus, which was carrying children between the ages of 13 and 18, was one of four buses in the Treasure Valley YMCA program. The other three buses were not involved.

The organization released a statement following the crash on its Facebook page, saying: "The Treasure Valley Family YMCA would like to thank the many individuals in our community for reacting quickly with heroic support of our campers and staff involved in the accident yesterday on Hwy 55. We're grateful for your continued thoughts and prayers as we work to support those involved."

Idaho State Police is investigating the cause of the crash. Troopers reported that they were working with the third-party bus vendor to access information related to the incident to determine the timeline and crash dynamics. According to the Associated Press, the YMCA had contracted with Caldwell Transportation for the bus service. The contractor declined comment when School Bus Fleet reached out.