Butler County, PA : School bus driver injured after a collision with a tanker truck on Route 422 in Summit Township on Wednesday, February 4, 2015
State police said they'll inspect a school bus that slammed into the rear of a tanker Wednesday, seriously injuring the bus driver and resulting in a miles-long traffic backup on Route 422 in Summit, Butler County.
The driver, a 67-year-old man from Sharon, Mercer County, was trapped in the wreckage for nearly an hour before firefighters freed him. A medical helicopter flew him to Allegheny General Hospital, North Side, for treatment.
A teacher in a vehicle behind the school bus took four Indiana Area High School students to Butler Memorial Hospital for examination. They had been traveling to a music event at Hickory High School in Mercer County. Indiana Area Superintendent Dale Kirsh said he didn't believe they suffered serious injuries.
The tanker driver was taken to Butler Memorial Hospital complaining of back injuries, police said.
State police did not identify either driver or the students.
The bus driver had been wearing a seat belt, said Trooper Dan Kesten.
“This crash here is definitely a good depiction of how a seat belt can help somebody,” Kesten said.
The driver of the Safety-Kleen tanker had been stopped at a red light at the intersection of Route 422 and Bonniebrook Road in the westbound lanes just before 1 p.m., Kesten said.
Police weren't sure why the bus hit the tanker, which had been hauling oil but was empty. A small amount of residual oil leaked, which firefighters cleaned up with an absorbent material.
The impact crushed the front end of the bus, and firefighters had to cut away portions to free the driver.
The school bus bore lettering identifying it as part of the Hermitage School District. Rice Whaley, district transportation coordinator, said the bus had been subcontracted to Student Transportation of America.
Traffic remained at a standstill along Route 422 for nearly two hours, backing up nearly two miles in each direction before enough emergency vehicles left the road. Traffic began flowing about 3 p.m.
Source :
Driver of school bus injured in crash with tanker in Summit