Five elementary school children and two adult members of staff have been injured after a school bus backed into a school van in the Hatboro-Horsham School District on Tuesday morning.
The accident occurred at around 8.45am, when the school bus rear ended a twelve seater school van that was parked in the Simmons Elementary School parking lot in Babylon Road, when the bus was dropping some children off at the school.
According to school officials, the bus was dropping off children in the school’s drop off area. When the bus pulled into the parking lot, the bus driver failed to stop in time and ran into the back of the school van. Both the school bus and the van belong to the Hatboro-Horsham School District.
There were 24 elementary school students on the bus at the time of the accident, and seven children on board the school van. There was also one staff member on the bus and one staff member in the van at the time, said police officials.
Faculty members at the elementary school called paramedics to the scene, and an ambulance arrived promptly. All the individuals involved in the accident were thoroughly examined by paramedics with the assistance of the school nurse. There were no serious injuries incurred in the accident, however five children and two adults sustained minor injuries and were transported to a local hospital for observation and evaluation, said a school spokesperson.
Apart from some minor scratches and complaints of pain, all of the injured passengers are doing well and are expected to be released from hospital tomorrow.
The principal of Simmons Elementary School, Karen Kanter, extended her gratitude to the Horsham fire and police departments and the paramedic team for their rapid response to the incident. Kanter also thanked the nursing staff at the school, and applauded them for their focus on ensuring the safety and health of the students and staff involved in the accident. ‘We are grateful that no one was seriously injured in this incident,’ said Kanter.
School officials notified the family members of the children who were involved in the crash on Tuesday morning.
Police are currently investigating the cause of the accident. It is not yet clear why the bus driver did not stop before striking the school van, however alcohol and substance abuse does not appear to have been a factor. No charges are expected to be filed against the driver.