CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Dozens of local schoolchildren returning from a field trip on Friday afternoon escaped serious injury when the charter bus in which they were riding was clipped by a vehicle that had first been involved in another collision.
The incident, first reported just before 1:30 p.m., occurred at Olympic Drive and Highway 53 in Clearlake, according to Lake County Fire Chief Willie Sapeta.
The initial reports from the Clearlake Police Department said the crash involved three vehicles, with police closing the road in the area for a short period of time.
The Konocti Unified School District reported on its Facebook page that the charter bus – carrying sixth graders from Burns Valley School who were returning from science camp – was involved in “a minor accident.”
Sapeta said the primary collision involved a near head-on involving two other vehicles, one of which continued on and clipped the charter bus, which was carrying about 42 Burns Valley School students, staff and chaperones.
Numerous Lake County Fire units, along with Cal Fire and Northshore Fire, responded, Sapeta said.
When firefighters arrived, “The kids were screaming and upset due to the dynamics of the accident,” Sapeta said.
An air ambulance responded to the scene to transport an individual reported to be the driver of one of the first two vehicles. Three others from that primary crash were taken by ground ambulance to St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake, according to Sapeta.
Sapeta said four of the children on the bus had complaints of neck and back pain, as well as anxiety, and were taken to the hospital for evaluation.
A firefighter got on the bus with the staff and remaining children – which included several students chaperones from Lower Lake High School – to talk to them and calm them down, Sapeta said, explaining that they had to keep the children on the bus at that point.
The charter bus itself had little damage and could still be driven. Sapeta said the firefighter rode on the bus with the staff and children, followed by an engine, Sapeta himself and the California Highway Patrol.
Radio reports indicated Sapeta and the group moved to Burns Valley School between 2:30 and 2:45 p.m.
Ahead of the children arriving back at Burns Valley School, Sapeta said a fire district representative and staffers from Lake Elementary and Burns Valley Elementary were at the school to meet with parents and inform them of the crash.
Sapeta said firefighters met with each of the families who came to pick up their children, explaining the situation and then giving them a list of things to watch for over the next 24 hours regarding physical and psychological issues that the children may experience in response to the crash.
He said paramedics were available to evaluate children medically if parents had additional concerns. He said no other children ended up being transported from the school.
Shortly after 3 p.m., after officials followed the careful process of working with the families and having them sign for their children, all of the children had been turned over to their parents, Sapeta said.
Sapeta praised the work of the different agencies involved, and gave special recognition to the high school chaperones for how they handled the situation. “They did an amazing job.”
Information on the other vehicles and individuals involved in the crash wasn’t immediately available late Friday afternoon from authorities.
Contacted by Lake County News just after 4 p.m., the Clearlake Police Department said it had no additional information on the crash at that time.
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Charter bus carrying schoolchildren involved in minor crash in Clearlake
- Elizabeth Larson
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