SCHOOL BUS CRASH REPORTS 2004

Van and school bus collide, injuring 5, 1 critically
February 2, 2004

NORTHWEST PHOENIX - At least five people were injured Monday, one critically, when a school bus carrying special-needs students and a private van transporting special-needs adults collided.

The nine students aboard the bus, en route to Greenway High School, escaped injury in the crash, which occurred about 8 a.m. at 29th Avenue and Greenway Road.

One of the vehicles, a Chevrolet Astro van, flipped on its side, trapping the driver and at least four passengers. Firefighters peeled off the roof of the van to rescue them.

A male passenger in the van was critically injured and remained in critical condition later in the day at a Phoenix hospital, said Sgt. Lauri Williams, a police spokeswoman.

The other victims were transported to a Phoenix hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, Williams said. She did not know the van's destination.

Based on a preliminary investigation, police believe the van was traveling east on Greenway Road when the driver ran a red light at 29th Avenue. The school bus, on 29th Avenue, was traveling northbound, Williams said.

Police were told the van driver may have been driving erratically shortly before the crash, Williams said.

Investigators will determine whether impairment may have been a factor. The nine students were wearing seat belts, said Carole Sabo, a spokeswoman for the Glendale Union High School District. Seven of them were in class by midmorning, two others were taken home by their parents, she said.

The bus driver, as well as an adult aide, escaped serious injury, Sabo said.

Brent Whiting The Arizona Republic

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