NATIONAL COALITION OF SCHOOL BUS SAFETY NEWS 2004

CHP probes Vista school bus mishap that injures 17
May 3, 2004

VISTA – Seventeen elementary school-age children were hurt after a school bus driver braked suddenly to avoid an approaching truck in an unincorporated part of Vista on Monday, the Highway Patrol said.

The injured students were among 62 being taken to Mission Meadows Elementary School in a Vista Unified School district school bus.

The incident was reported shortly before 9 a.m.

The driver, identified as Angel Valentine, 42, was driving westbound on Osborne Street west of Bautista Avenue, according to a statement from CHP officer Joel Arding.

The driver told authorities he was moving at about 25 mph when a mini-pickup coming from the opposite direction crested a hill, approaching in mostly the westbound lane.

The bus driver hit his brakes, coming to sudden stop, and the driver of the pickup reportedly braked and swerved back into the proper lane, Arding said.

They were taken to local hospitals for treatment of various, unspecified injuries.

Authorities are trying to determine the pickup driver's identity and, because of the injuries, are calling the incident a "non-contact hit and run" traffic accident, according to Arding.

COMMENT BY Dr A. L. Yeager:
There was no crash, driver just stopped short.  Wonder whatever happened to being "compartmentalized" between high back well padded seats?

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