All students hurt in bus accident sent home from hospital
| Wednesday, Mar 10 2010 04:10 AM
Last Updated Wednesday, Mar 10 2010 04:09 PM
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Twelve elementary school students were taken to the hospital with minor injuries Wednesday morning after a vehincle cut off the bus they were riding on, causing the bus driver to slam on the brakes in front of Rabobank Arena, a California Highway Patrol spokesman said. The 8- and 9-year-old students, who were being dropped off to see a Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra concert, were taken to a local hospital as a precaution for their minor neck and head injuries. Neither of the drivers was cited in the near crash.
Twelve elementary school students were taken to the hospital with minor injuries Wednesday morning after a vehincle cut off the bus they were riding on, causing the bus driver to slam on the brakes in front of Rabobank Arena, a California Highway Patrol spokesman said. The 8- and 9-year-old students, who were being dropped off to see a Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra concert, were taken to a local hospital as a precaution for their minor neck and head injuries. Neither of the drivers was cited in the near crash.
Twelve elementary school students were taken to the hospital with minor injuries Wednesday morning after a vehincle cut off the bus they were riding on, causing the bus driver to slam on the brakes in front of Rabobank Arena, a California Highway Patrol spokesman said. The 8- and 9-year-old students, who were being dropped off to see a Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra concert, were taken to a local hospital as a precaution for their minor neck and head injuries. Neither of the drivers was cited in the near crash.
Twelve elementary school students were taken to the hospital with minor injuries Wednesday morning after a pickup truck cut off the bus they were riding on, causing the bus driver to slam on the brakes in front of Rabobank Arena, a California Highway Patrol spokesman said.
The 8- and 9-year-old Eissler Elementary School students, who were being dropped off at about 9:30 a.m. to see the Young People's Concert presented by the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra, were taken to a local hospital as a precaution for minor neck and head injuries, officials said.
They said all of the children were released from the hospital and sent home.
The Bakersfield City School District bus carrying 38 students was stopped at the light in the right lane on Truxtun Avenue before N Street. A 2005 GMC Sierra driven by 68-year-old Mickie Mendez of Delano was to its left.
As the light turned green, the bus driven by 59-year-old Cecelia Luque of Bakersfield continued forward and the truck attempted to turn right onto N Street, veering in front of the bus, officials said.
Luque punched the brakes and kids were "jolted" forward and hit the back of the padded seats, district spokesman Steve Gabbitas said. The school bus did not have seat belts for students, as most buses don't.
Event staffers were directing traffic at the time. Mendez stopped and gave her statement to investigators.
The drivers, who were wearing seat belts, were not injured, and neither was cited in the near-crash. Fault has not been established, said CHP spokesman Robert Rodriguez
The injured students, wearing neck braces, were carried in stretchers as hundreds of students watched while in line for the concert. One lane of Truxtun Avenue remained open as ambulances, buses and commuters traveled through. All cleared by 10:40 a.m.
Students' parents were notified.
The 1988 bus does not come with seat belts equipped. In fact, only buses built after 2005 must have seat belts with a shoulder harness installed, said Paul Linder, director of transportation services with Kern County Superintendent of Schools.
Installing seat belts on older model buses would require people to "completely gut all of the seats," Rodriguez said, something schools don't have enough money to do these days. On top of that, installing seat belts would lower the capacity of buses, requiring districts to buy larger fleets, Linder said.
A bus without seat belts can fit nearly 80 elementary students, while those with seat belts can fit about 55. Only a few local school districts have newer buses with shoulder harnesses including in the Fruitvale School District and Standard School District. They cost roughly $165,000 each, Linder said.
Linder and Rodriguez said that buses, for the most part, are safe with or without seat belts. Installing only lap belts might cause more harm than good to the body in case of a crash, Rodriguez said.
