Car vs. bus is fourth of school year

WASILLA — A collision between a Mat-Su Borough School District bus and a car in Palmer Monday became the fourth accident involving a bus transporting students since the school year began.

The collision happened mid-afternoon on East Strand Drive, near the Palmer-Wasilla Highway.

Palmer Assistant Fire Chief Todd Russell said it appeared the car slid into the school bus, but he couldn’t confirm that scenario.

Russell said the road where the accident occurred was “pretty slick” before the accident.

Fifty students from Palmer High School were on the bus, district spokeswoman Catherine Esary said.

None of the students on the bus were injured, but Russell said the driver of the car, who was not immediately identified, was transported to the hospital with unknown injuries.

Russell said the bus and car hit on their drivers’ sides, but as of press time it was unclear who was at fault and what led to the collision.

The accident marks the fourth time a bus and car have collided this school year.

District officials, however, said the number of accidents doesn’t seem to be the fault of the bus drivers. First Student bus company is contracted by the district to provide transportation for students.

“I don’t think the drivers have been cited on anything,” Director of Pupil Transportation Bill Cheeseman said.

Three students escaped injury Nov. 24 when a PT Cruiser slammed into a bus head-on. The accident occurred on Grumman Circle in Wasilla, which responders said became narrow around a curve in the road where the vehicles collided.

The most violent collision between a car and school bus happened Sept. 9 in Big Lake when an SUV driven by Wasilla resident Mary McClinn slammed into the back of the bus. Rescuers had to use airbags to lift the bus off the car. McClinn later said the accident happend when she had a sneezing fit, saying she didn’t see the bus while she was sneezing, according to accident reports.

Officials with fire departments and the school district have reminded drivers to be extra careful now that busses are back on roads in force. Mornings and afternoons are particularly heavy traffic times for school buses.

“When the buses are out, people need to be more careful,” Esary said last week.

Besides bus accidents, the school district also had to deal with a slip-up last week that left one child out in the cold. School officials say they are checking their lists twice since a 5-year-old boy was left at a wrong bus stop last week.

“We’re accepting full responsibility for this,” Esary said. “There are more cross checks in place now.”

She said each driver has a list that tells where to drop off students. Some students might have as many as five different places, she said.

Others, Esary said, may be dropped off at a relative’s home or places other than the student’s home.

She said part of the problem could be contributed to the fact that there was a substitute bus driver on that route and a substitute teacher in the boy’s classroom.

“There was a mistake between them,” Esary said. “There were multiple problems that day. That’s not something we care to have happen. Not just for that student, but all students.”

A call to First Student, the bus company that transports students to and from school, was referred to the company’s operations manager and was not returned.

Contact Michael Rovito at michael.rovito@frontiersman.com or 352-2252. T.C. Mitchell can be reached at tc.mitchell@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.