Students escape major injuries in Cape Coral bus crash

A sports car T-boned a bus of students headed to Cape Coral Charter School on Wednesday morning, sending two people to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Cape Coral firefighters responded to the crash around 7:30 a.m. at NW 15th Terrace and Chiquita Boulevard, according to fire department spokesman Michael Heeder. Witnesses said the sports car was driving through fog with no headlights.
There were 23 students in first through eighth grades on the bus, according to Cape Coral Charter School spokeswoman Colleen Reynolds.

One student was taken to the hospital complaining of back pain,” she said. “As far as I know, it was all minor.”
That student has been released and cleared to return to school today.The driver of the sports car also was taken to the hospital. The crash mangled the front of the car and tore off its bumper. Information on any charges the driver may face and the police report were unavailable Wednesday.

“Had the point of impact occurred a second or two sooner or later,” Heeder said in a news release, “the vehicle could have easily ended up under the bus, resulting in more serious injuries and the driver being trapped inside the wreckage.”

Students stranded by the crash took an alternate bus to school, arriving a little late, Reynolds said. They were greeted at school with hugs and breakfast.

Cape Coral Charter School will conduct a thorough investigation of the crash, as is school policy, Reynolds said.“We are very, very glad that this was not a more serious incident,” she said. “And we’re making it as normal as possible for the kids, and making sure everyone’s fine.”