SCHOOL BUS CRASH REPORTS 2007

Meeting Today May Address Berlin Bus Crash
March 20, 2007

BERLIN - Some concerned parents may show up at tonight's Berlin Board of Education meeting for answers about a bus accident that happened during Friday's snow storm.

Superintendent Toni Diamond said this morning that a bus slid off Olneys Road in Petersburgh, a narrow country road, at about 3:15 p.m. that day and the back end hit a tree.

"We followed protocol and the transportation supervisor, school nurse, EMS and State Police were summoned to the scene," Diamond said. "The problem we had through the whole incident was communications gaps and blackouts. We are coincidentally in the process of upgrading our communications systems."

Because of a lack of communication towers, cellular phones also do not work in the rural reaches of Eastern Rensselaer county and Diamond said that aggravated the situation and led to increased concerns from parents.

There were about 20 kids on the bus of varying ages. After they were evaluated, eight were determined to be shaken up enough to be checked out at a hospital. All were evaluated and released. One child had an abrasion on an arm and another student had an x-ray taken of his jaw, which came back negative, Diamond said.

School-aged kids are not legally old enough to refuse medical attention at an accident and must be taken to a hospital unless a parent or guardian comes to the scene and makes other arrangements.

Because of the communications problems, the driver could not effectively talk to the superintendent's office to supply names of kids on the bus. Communications with the bus dispatcher were also spotty, Diamond said.

"The other problem we have is that our communications system can be picked up by scanners and many people heard it, called others, jammed up phone lines and a lot of inaccurate information was getting out," Diamond said.

One parent, Amy Reger, who did not have a child on the bus, said the road is normally off limits during bad weather. She said she has heard there will be angry parents at tonight's meeting looking for answers.

"It is not considered a dangerous road but it is not a road that is normally taken by the buses," Diamond said. "The bus driver made a judgment call."

The meeting was held at 7:30 p.m. tonight in the Berlin Junior/Senior High School, 17400 Route 22, Cherry Plain.

By BOB GARDINIER, Staff writer

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