Crash into bus injures 1

9/17/2010

A Wauseon High School athlete was injured Thursday afternoon when a tractor-trailer hit the back of a school bus on Airport Highway at I-475/U.S. 23.

The athlete, a member of the girls junior varsity soccer team, was taken to St. Luke's Hospital with neck and back pain, said Superintendent Marc Robinson. Her name was not released.

The crash occurred about 4:20 p.m. on eastbound Airport, on the west side of the interchange, troopers at the Toledo post of the Ohio Highway Patrol said.

The identities of the drivers and passengers were not released.

The girls junior varsity soccer team was en route to Notre Dame Academy in Toledo for a 5 p.m. game.

The driver and 13 girls were checked by emergency medical personnel. Mr. Robinson did not know how many of those ultimately will seek medical attention. The coach also was aboard the bus.

The driver of the truck was cited for failure to maintain an assured clear distance, Lt. John Altman said.

The superintendent was at his son's junior high football game in Delta when he got a call about the crash. By the time he arrived 20 minutes later, the girls had phoned or text-messaged their parents, about nine of whom had come to take their daughters home. Another school bus was dispatched to return the rest to the high school.

Mr. Robinson learned as he was driving that no injury appeared serious. Still, "when you have a situation with young kids, that shakes you up a little bit," he said. "Fortunately the bus driver handled things well and EMTs and the state highway patrol were instantly on the scene.

"We have a little damage to a bus," he said. "But the positive is, no serious injuries, and we're thankful there."