December 2023: SBF Accident Report Roundup [Updated Dec. 19]

Several crashes involving school buses have made headlines in the last few weeks. School Bus Fleet has a roundup of stories on recent crashes, including:

• Driver who hit school bus in Pennsylvania was reportedly fleeting police, shooting at cars.
• Crash involving two Pennsylvania school buses sends students to hospital.

School Bus Accidents As of Dec. 19, 2023

Driver Who Hit School Bus in Pennsylvania Was Reportedly Fleeing Police, Shooting at Cars

A driver who crashed into a school bus on Dec. 12 was reportedly fleeing from police, and is accused of shooting three vehicles.

Investigators told LeHigh Valley Live that a search of 28-year-old Brett Wyatt, Jr.'s vehicle after he crashed into the back of a Phillipsburg School District bus revealed he was was armed with three guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

The incident began when authorities responded to a report that a driver had fired shots at a nearby parked car. When an officer spotted Wyatt, they witnessed him reportedly fire shots at two more vehicles while stopped in traffic. None of the passsengers in the vehicles were struck.

Wyatt is accused of refusing to stop for police when they attempted to pull him over. The pursuit was terminated at one point due to traffic. When authorities located Wyatt and again attempted to pull him over, he allegedly fled, continuing on until he crashed into the back of the school bus.

The bus was carrying nearly two dozen children. Some of the students were treated for minor injuries. Wyatt suffered major injuries and was flown to a nearby hospital.

Criminal charges against Wyatt are pending.

Crash Involving Two Pennsylvania School Buses Sends Students to Hospital

Multiple students were sent to local hospitals after a crash involving two school buses belonging to the Wilkes-Barre Area School District in Pains Township (Pa.) on Dec. 19. Authorities told the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader that one bus rear-ended another bus.

As many as 25 students were transported to local hospitals. The students were being transported from the school district's Career & Technical Center to Wilkes-Barre Area High School.

The assistant to the superintendent of instruction said that there were no serious injuries, and that all students were assessed by medical professionals as a precaution.

The district is working with local authorities to investigate the incident.

School Bus Accidents As of Dec. 15, 2023

Virginia Student Hit By Driver who Failed to Stop for School Bus

A 14-year-old in Spotsylvania County, Va., was taken to the hospital after being hit by a motorist who failed to stop as students were crossing the street to load the bus. The crash happened Nov. 15.

The Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office told WWBT that the school bus's driver-side stop sign, front stop arm, and flashing lights were engaged, alerting motorists to stop. Other vehicles were stopped, but one driver apparently crossed over the double yellow line on the wrong side of the road, hitting the student, and then the front of the bus.

The teen was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Ten students aboard the bus and the driver were not hurt.

The suspect, who was identified only as a 20-year-old, was charged with reckless driving.

Texas Student Hit by School Bus While Crossing the Road

A Midway (Texas) Middle School student was injured after being struck by a bus on the way to school on Nov. 10.

According to KWTX, the student was walking across the street near the school when he was hit.

Midway Middle School Principal Jay Fischer told KWTX that the boy did not suffer life-threatening injuries. The school district is investigating the crash and cooperating with law enforcement.

Virginia Girl Hospitalized After Being Hit by School Bus

A girl was taken to the hospital after she was hit by a Roanoke (Virginia) City school bus on Dec. 15. The Roanoke Police Department reported to WDBJ7 that the girl was hit at an intersection when she entered the roadway.

Authorities reported the student had non-life-threatening injuries. Several students were onboard at the time of the crash, but no additional injuries were reported.

The school bus was operated by a driver for Durham School Services. The vice president of its parent company, National Express, told WDBJ7 on Dec. 18 that the company completed its internal investigation and that the driver was found to not be at fault. The driver returned to their route on the 18th.

Roanoke Police told WDBJ7 that traffic investigators are set to meet with the Virginia Commonwealth’s Attorney to review the case and evidence.

Pedestrian Injured After Boston School Bus Accelerator Reportedly Fails

A pedestrian and two other people were injured in a crash in Boston on Dec. 14 when the accelerator on a school bus reportedly failed. The crash happened in front of Henry Grew Elementary School as parents were dropping students off.

Surveillance video shows a chain-reaction crash after the bus hit one car, plowing it into several others in front of it. Six vehicles were involved, including the school bus. The pedestrian who was hit was a parent or guardian walking back to her car.

According to WCVB, the mother-in-law of the pedestrian hit said she talked to the bus driver, who told her that the accelerator broke. Another family member of the pedestrian said she is alert and oriented and that she sustained injuries to the front of her face and back of her head.

The mother and daughter in the vehicle at the front of the line had minor injuries.

Authorities said no students were on the bus at the time of the crash. Henry Grew Elementary School principal Christina Michel wrote in a school notice that a crisis team was on-site to support students and staff who might have witnessed the accident.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Good Samaritans Pull Oklahoma School Bus Out of Fire After Fatal Crash

Two people are being hailed heroes after their quick action when a school bus and pickup truck crashed on an Oklahoma highway on Dec. 11.

According to KSWO, Bobby Wittington, a farmer who spent 40 years in law enforcement, was checking on his cattle when he saw smoke coming from Highway 70 near Grandfield. As he got closer to it, he realized there had been a crash and that the pickup truck was engulfed in flames.

When Wittington got to the crash site, Jeff Thornton, another good samaritan, was already on the scene, helping the eight or nine children who were onboard the Grandfield Public Schools bus. The bus driver, James Jackson, was trapped inside the bus.

Together, Wittington and Thornton hooked up the bus to Thornton's pickup truck to pull it off the pickup truck because "that was all we could do," he told KSWO.

The two of them then checked on the students while they waited for first responders to arrive. The bus driver was airlifted to a hospital due to the severity of his injuries. KTJS reported that ten passengers, ages 16 to 18, were treated and released from local hospitals. The pickup truck driver died.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

DUI Suspected in California Crash Involving School Bus

A driver was arrested after a train reaction school bus crash injured four people in Temecula, Calif., on Nov. 17.

A California Highway Patrol spokesperson told the Temecula Patch that 28-year-old Mariah Reese was arrested on suspicion of felony DUI after colliding with the school bus carrying students ranging in age from 7- to 10-years old from Crowne Hill Elementary School during the afternoon route.

According to a California Highway Patrol spokesperson, Reese allegedly attempted to pass the school bus on the right when the tires on her car struck the curb. That caused her car to ricochet off the curb and collide with the right side of the school bus.

The force of the collision caused the bus driver to lose control, crossing into oncoming traffic and getting hit by another vehicle.

Two students were taken to the hospital, along with the school bus driver and the driver of the other vehicle involved in the crash.

The principal sent a letter to parents, saying in part, "our thoughts are with those affected by this incident, and we remain committed to the safety and well-being of our students and staff."

The crash is under investigation.

Students Taken to Hospital After North Carolina School Bus Crash

Multiple students were taken by ambulance to the hospital after a crash involving a school bus in Pitt County, N.C. North Carolina Highway Patrol reported that Nicholas Giggs was traveling behind the school bus during its morning route on Dec. 5 when he hit it from behind. The Pitt County school bus was transporting students to North Pitt High School.

A district spokesperson told WITN that four students were taken by ambulance to the hospital, while three others were transported by their parents. The district said there were no serious injuries to either the students or bus driver.

Giggs was charged with failure to reduce speed.

School Bus, Student Vehicle Involved in Crash in Washington State

A school bus full of children collided with a student vehicle in Othello, Wash., on Nov. 20. Both the bus, carrying approximately 36 students, and the student driver were on their way to Othello High School.

According to a statement released by the school district, students on the bus were evaluated at the accident site and were released and transported to the school after parents were contacted.

The student driver's car rolled as a result of the accident. The driver sustained minor injuries but declined medical attention. According to Source One, the student driver was found at fault for the crash.

Minnesota School Bus Passengers Injured After Colliding with Car

Passengers aboard a school bus were injured when a school bus collided with a car on a slippery highway. The crash happened during the morning route on Nov. 29 in Hillsdale Township, Minn.

Minnesota State Patrol reported that the driver of the vehicle, which was driving the opposite direction when the two collided, was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

According to the Winona Daily News, the school bus driver and two passengers were also injured and were treated for non-life-threatening injuries at a local hospital.

The school district the bus belonged to was not named.

Minnesota State Patrol reported that the road conditions were wet from snow/ice at the time of the crash.

Georgia Students Taken to Hospital After School Bus, Log Truck Involved in Crash

Two Troup County (Georgia) Schools students were taken to the hospital on Nov. 30 after a log truck reportedly disobeyed a traffic control device, entering an intersection and colliding with a school bus.

According to The LaGrange Daily News, the preliminary accident report from Georgia State Patrol says the log truck then tipped over, losing its load. The logs rolled into the back of a minivan stopped at the intersection.

Authorities say four people were onboard the school bus at the time of the crash. The school system reported that two students were taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure.

Editor's Note: This story was updated on Dec. 18 with more information on the Roanoke (Va.) school bus crash, as well as information on two new crashes.