OAN’s Elizabeth Volberding
12:30 PM – Thursday, September 7, 2023
On Wednesday, 49 students and two adults were taken to the hospital after a school bus crashed head-on into a tow truck in northeastern Pennsylvania.
Just after 8 a.m. on Wednesday, a school bus was carrying around 54 students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade, and they were headed to their second day of class at the Bear Creek Community Charter School in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, according to the Pennsylvania State Police.
The school bus slammed head-on into a tow truck on Route 115, leaving 49 of the students and two adults injured. Some victims were released to their parents, while others were transported to Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center.
Late on Wednesday, four of the 49 students who were hospitalized remained in treatment for moderate injuries, Bear Creek CEO Jim Smith told The New York Post.
The school bus driver, 53-year-old Suzanne Ent, and the tow truck driver, 28-year-old Edward Steinmann, were hospitalized following the accident with “moderate injuries”, according to state police Captain Patrick Dougherty.
“At this time it is believed the operator of the tow truck suffered a medical issue before the crash” that caused him to cross into oncoming traffic at the time of the accident, Dougherty explained at a press conference on Wednesday. “Although this is an unfortunate event, we are grateful that there were no serious injuries. We wish everyone a speedy recovery.”
The Bear Creek CEO wrote a heartfelt message that he shared in a community bulletin.
“Today was a day that none of us ever wanted to experience, nor do we ever want to experience it again. But there are lessons to be learned, and we must be prepared in the unfortunate event of a future incident,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the results of the ongoing investigation.”
Route 115 held a road closure until around noon on Wednesday, while police continued their investigation. Images taken near the site of the accident showed the school bus and the two trucks with serious front-end damage.
According to Doherty, a handful of good Samaritans offered assistance at the scene of the collision and were later thanked by local news stations. He also expressed gratitude to the response agencies for their efforts on the spot.
The captain stated that the accident is still under investigation.
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