POLICE INVESTIGATE 3 SCHOOL BUS CRASHES

Teen driver hurt seriously; others get minor injuries

A Toledo police officer examines the wreckage of a Toledo Public Schools bus that was rear-ended while on its way to Westfield Achievement. The bus was carrying only the driver, a bus aide, and one student. They suffered minor injuries.

A trio of Monday crashes in the area involved school buses, and while no students aboard the buses suffered significant injuries, the driver of a car involved in one of the crashes did when her car became wedged underneath the rear of a bus.

Leann Ketchum, 17, was hurt seriously when she crashed into the back of a Toledo Public Schools bus at about 7 a.m. in the 4300 block of Douglas Road. She was taken to ProMedica Toledo Hospital. A hospital spokesman said Monday that no information was available about a patient of that name.

Miss Ketchum was trapped in the wreckage for about 25 minutes, officials said, and the Toledo Fire Department had to use a hydraulic device to remove her.

Also taken to Toledo Hospital were Ricardo Gonzales, 16, Sophia Sparks, 46, and Denise Jones, whose age was not immediately available.

Ms. Sparks was driving the bus; Ms. Jones is a bus aide. The bus was just starting its run to pick up students who attend Westfield Achievement, a TPS spokesman said, and was at its first stop.

About 7 a.m., the bus was stopped in the southbound curb lane of Douglas Road with its flashers on, according to a police report. Mr. Gonzales, who is a TPS student, was on the bus, and Ms. Sparks was waiting for another student to board the bus, according to the TPS spokesman.

Miss Ketchum, who was southbound, hit the rear of the bus and was trapped in her vehicle. Douglas Road was closed for about 2½ hours, according to police.

Mr. Gonzales was taken to the hospital for observation, according to TPS. The bus was towed to the district’s garage. There were no other students on the bus, and no other district bus was dispatched to the scene.

Police are investigating.

A TPS spokesman said another district bus was involved in a crash on the Anthony Wayne Trail at about the same time as the Douglas Road crash. The bus was on its way to Oakdale Elementary, and had two students on board.

A car swerved to hit another vehicle and struck the bus, the TPS spokesman said. The students and driver were not injured, and were transported by another bus to Oakdale.

The spokesman was not sure where on the Anthony Wayne Trail the crash occurred, and information about the crash was not immediately available from the Toledo Police Department.

A third crash, this time involving a Swanton Local Schools bus, occurred about 8:20 a.m. at Airport Highway and Main Street in Swanton, the Ohio Highway Patrol said.

Richard Richie, 24, of Swanton was eastbound on Airport Highway when he failed to stop for a red light at Main Street, according to the highway patrol. His vehicle struck the bus, which was northbound on Main Street and driven by Sharon Domoe, 53, of Swanton.

Ms. Domoe and Mr. Richie were both taken by ambulance to ProMedica St. Luke’s Hospital where they were treated for injuries.

Swanton Superintendent Jeff Schlade said there were about 20 students on board at the time of the crash, as the bus was on its way to the district’s two elementary schools.

Several students suffered minor bumps and cuts. Another bus arrived to take students to school, and a staging area for parents to pick up students was set up in a nearby parking lot.

The patrol is investigating the crash.

Staff writers Nolan Rosenkrans and Mike Sigov compiled this report.

Contact Nolan Rosenkrans at: nrosenkrans@theblade.com or 419-724-6086, or on Twitter @NolanRosenkrans.

Contact Mike Sigov at: sigov@theblade.com, 419-724-6089, or on Twitter @mikesigovblade.