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SCHOOL BUS CRASH REPORTS 20077 Hurt in Andover
School Bus Accident Authorities were trying to determine exactly why a school flipped onto its side Wednesday morning, injuring five children and two adults. The Anoka County sheriff's office said the bus was headed for St. Francis middle and high schools when it rounded a corner, collided with a car, rolled on its side and crushed the back half of the car. The bus driver, Nancy Mei, 57, of Ham Lake, and five students were taken to Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids. Most had "minor, noncritical injuries," and were released, hospital officials said. One student was still being evaluated for a concussion Wednesday night. The driver of the car, Lori Wietman, 39, of East Bethel, underwent exploratory surgery at Unity Hospital in Fridley after reporting abdominal pain, said Capt. Dave Jenkins of the sheriff's office. Her condition was not released. Seventh-grader Veronica Cich said she was talking with friends one moment. The next moment she was on top of one of them - and another one was on top of her. They were surrounded by broken glass and her trumpet was stuck in the seat. "It was really scary," said Veronica, 12. "I thought maybe we got a flat tire and went into the ditch. It all happened so fast. I didn't know what was going on. I was lying on top of my friends; my friend's arm hurt, but we all got out. " School and sheriff's officials said Mei was an experienced bus driver and had no blemishes on her safety record, and that there was no evidence she was going too fast. Authorities weren't immediately sure why the bus tipped over, but that preliminary indications were that Mei had rounded the curve, drifted across the center line, overcorrected and lost control. The bus then collided with the oncoming car, rolled over and crushed it. The Associated Press School Bus Crash Injures Seven
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