Students get lesson after school bus crash

Deepa Bharath

A busload of elementary school students escaped without injuries

after a sport utility vehicle crashed into their bus Thursday

morning, officials said.

The collision happened at the intersection of Newport Coast Drive

and Vista Ridge at about 8:15 a.m. as the 28 children were heading to

school, said Jennifer Schulz, spokeswoman for the Newport Beach Fire

Department.

No one on the bus, including the driver, was hurt, she said. The

driver of the Jeep Cherokee was treated at the scene and released,

Schulz said.

Paramedics monitored the Newport Coast Elementary School children

for about 20 minutes and then released them to school administrators,

Schulz said.

The children were only a block away from the school, so they

walked to their classes, escorted by administrators, said Jane

Garland, spokeswoman for the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

“We sent a counselor to the school to talk to the children and

make sure everything was OK,” she said. “We’re always alarmed when

there is an accident involving a school bus. But we’re very happy and

relieved that no one was injured.”

The school bus was damaged and had to be towed away, Garland said.

“But these buses are built like tanks,” she said. “They’re very

safe for children and this incident proves it even more.”

Schulz said the firefighters, who responded to the call, declared

it a “multi-casualty incident” because of the number of possible

victims. Three engines, two medic units, one private ambulance and a

battalion chief responded.

Students were broken into four treatment groups and were monitored

for after-effects from the crash, Schulz said.

The incident gave firefighters a chance to try out a recently

implemented plan to handle such incidents, she said.

“The new plan helped them in the efficient and safe removal and

treatment of all the children,” Schulz said.

Both firefighters and students relaxed as they realized everyone

was safe, she said.

“Some of our paramedics were doing homework with the kids,” Schulz

said. “According to our captain, they finished two spelling

assignments and finished studies for a math test.”

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at deepa.bharath@latimes.com.