NORTH TONAWANDA: School bus carrying 20 children hit by car

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June 22, 2009

Toyota collided with Spruce school bus during afternoon route

By Dan Pye The Niagara Gazette Mon Jun 22, 2009, 06:53 PM EDT

No children aboard a school bus were injured Monday afternoon after it was rear-ended by another driver.

North Tonawanda Fire Captain John Magnus said about 20 students from Spruce Elementary were aboard the bus when a red Toyota sedan crashed into it from behind. The children were taken home on another bus even though the affected bus was able to leave the scene under its own power.

“There was minor damage to the bus, but it was drivable,” Magnus said.

The car that hit the bus wasn’t so lucky, taking severe front end damage after running under the bus’ bumper. Despite the low speed of the accident, the car’s hood was pushed up into its windshield, completely exposing the engine and other components. Joan Walker, the vehicle’s driver, also avoided injury despite the fact that her car’s air bags didn’t deploy.

“She was fortunate, because the car hit in such a manner that it peeled back the hood instead of hitting the bumper and activating the air bags,” Magnus said.

Walker said she saw three children exit the bus she was following, and watched one of them come back toward the street. When she looked into her rearview mirror to make sure that a van passing in the opposite direction didn’t hit the child, the bus stopped again. By the time she looked up again, it was too late to stop. But even though her car had to be towed away with a crumpled front end, Walker said she felt fine.

“They told me these cars are meant to crunch up so you don’t get hurt,” she said.

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