No injuries reported after incident
Snowbird – An inbound Graham County school bus and a pickup collided on Snowbird Road just west of I.U. Gap Road on Jan. 27.
There were no injuries, but it delayed the start of the school day for the approximately 20 students riding the bus.
The accident was not the bus driver’s fault, the school district said. The accident was recorded by the bus’s onboard video camera.
School Bus 54 was headed east on Snowbird Road at around 7:30 a.m. when it collided with the pickup on a sharp bend in the road.
The westbound pickup – whose driver was not identified – made a wide turn into the oncoming lane, leading to the collision. Weather did not appear to be a factor, as the road was dry and there was no precipitation.
Graham County Schools Superintendent Angie Knight said a review of the videotape showed that the crash could have been much worse and that the driver handled it well.
No one was injured and damage to the vehicles was light, but a replacement bus was dispatched – along with a school counselor, the assistant superintendent of schools and other school officials. Parents were notified immediately.
Students remained on board the damaged bus until the replacement bus arrived at about 8:20 a.m. Firefighters, rescue squads and law enforcement secured the scene and controlled traffic while the accident scene was active.
The replacement bus took the passengers to be available to parents and be interviewed by the state Highway Patrol, before continuing on to their respective schools.
“Law enforcement and school staff, including a counselor were immediately on the scene,” the school district said in its Facebook announcement. “Thanks to everyone who has been involved with the safety and well-being of the students.”