Troopers investigate crash that injured students, closed KGB

WASILLA — Alaska State Troopers have no new details on a school bus crash that injured five students last week and halted traffic on Knik-Goose Bay Road April 18.

According to an AST press release, the crash was reported at 4:19 p.m., Thursday at Knik-Goose Bay Road and Country Lane — in that segment of Knik-Goose Bay Road between Fairview Loop and Vine Road.

“The bus was stopped at the intersection of Country Lane with its red lights flashing and the stop sign placard displayed in the ‘STOP’ position,” reads the troopers press release.

Troopers say that’s when Lisa D. Gettman, 59, of Anchorage, rear-ended it in her 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser “at a high rate of speed.”

There were 48 students on board at the time. Five of them, along with Gettman, were taken to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center with injuries troopers report were not life-threatening.

Gettman was wearing her seat belt and her PT Cruiser was totaled. Damage to the bus was estimated at $5,000.

Troopers say they are still investigating the crash. As of Monday, Gettman had no new charges filed against her, according to court records.

As of Monday afternoon, Alaska State Troopers Spokeswoman Beth Ipsen said that since there weren’t charges, she couldn’t answer questions about what that investigation might have found.

Contact reporter Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.