Police: Crawford school bus crash injures 9 elementary students, 1 adult
Pine Bush parents and kids were waiting within earshot of the First Student bus when police say it crashed with 43 kids onboard.
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Crawford police say a packed bus carrying E.J. Russell Elementary School students collided with a Dodge truck Monday morning, resulting in nine young children and an adult suffering minor injuries.
Pine Bush parents and kids were waiting within earshot of the First Student bus when police say it crashed with 43 kids onboard.
“I heard tires, squealing and a big, loud boom,” said a parent who asked not to be identified. She said her three children were next to be picked up when the collision occurred.
The incident happened shortly before 9 a.m. at the intersection of State Route 52 and County Route17 in the Town of Crawford.
Authorities say the injured children were taken to the hospital by ambulance with “pain and bruising” and that an adult remained under evaluation by that afternoon. Other children on board were taken to their school to be united with parents.
The crash is renewing concerns for parents and residents about the safety of the intersection and it’s not the first time News 12 has reported on an accident at the site.
“There are always accidents there. Always. It’s dangerous. The hill is blinding; you can’t see cars coming,” says the district mom.
The intersection is the same spot where a crash last Christmas injured nine people, including a young child.
County and state officials tell News 12 they’re working on a traffic study for safety upgrades.
“Today, I once again visited this intersection with first responders, and we confirmed what the short-term and long-term solutions are. In the coming days, we will be very aggressive and detailed with both the Governor’s office and the NYS DOT to ensure immediate action is taken,” says Assemblyman Brian Maher. “I thank God the school children are all right, but the truth is we have been very lucky. If action is not taken soon, we will have another deadly accident at this intersection.”
A representative for the New York state Department of Transportation says it’s added safety improvements near the intersection and are open to a community discussion about additional upgrades.
“Safety is always the priority for the New York State Department of Transportation, and we are always willing to engage with our local partners to discuss concerns and areas for potential enhancements,” says NYSDOT assistant director of communications Glenn Blain. "NYSDOT has already implemented several enhancements in the vicinity of this intersection, including upgraded signage, and the Department has initiated a study to see if further enhancements are warranted. As this morning’s crash is the subject of a law enforcement investigation, we cannot comment further at this time."
Crawford police have not said what factors may have contributed to the crash or which driver was at fault.
