School bus with 7 children crashes into power pole, closes westbound portion of Iron Springs Road
Updated as of Tuesday, December 10, 2019 4:36 PM
A Prescott Unified School District bus with seven children on it crashed into a light pole and caused a closure of Iron Springs Road to westbound traffic Tuesday morning, Dec. 10, according to the Prescott Police Department (PPD).
The bus driver reportedly veered off the road near Iron Springs and Meadow Ridge Road shortly before 8 a.m. Police said it was a slow speed crash.
After dispatch received several 911 calls, a “mass casualty incident” was declared and triage began on the nine occupants in the bus, two adults and seven children, according to Prescott Fire Department spokesperson Don Devendorf on Tuesday afternoon.
Three engine companies, a mass casualty support unit, a battalion chief, officers with PPD and at least six ambulances were dispatched to the scene, according to Prescott FD.
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PUSD school bus accident Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019
A Prescott Unified School District bus rests on the westbound side of Iron Springs Road just before the light at Meadowridge Road in Prescott on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019. The bus driver reportedly veered off the road and crashed into a power pole. There were seven children on the bus at the time. One student and the bus driver were transported to Yavapai Regional Medical Center for back pain, police said. (Brian M. Bergner Jr./Courier)
A Prescott Unified School District bus rests on the westbound side of Iron Springs Road just before the light at Meadowridge Road in Prescott on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019. The bus driver reportedly veered off the road and crashed into a power pole. There were seven children on the bus at the time. One student and the bus driver were transported to Yavapai Regional Medical Center for back pain, police said. (Brian M. Bergner Jr./Courier)
During triage, it was determined that the 71-year-old male driver of the bus, and two children on the bus, a 7-year-old girl and 8-year-old boy, had sustained non-life threatening injuries requiring transportation to local hospitals.
The driver went to Yavapai Regional Medical Center in west Prescott, while the two students were transported to YRMC east in Prescott Valley to the pediatric care center.
One student and the driver complained of back pain, police said.
Everyone else on the bus was assessed and parents of all seven children were contacted, according to a post on the PUSD Facebook page.
“Safety is always our number one priority and we hope all involved in this accident are doing well,” the post stated.
School officials responded to the scene and aided emergency personnel with locating parents and guardians for the remaining five children, which were transported by another bus to a local parking lot. All children were reunited with their parents.
Westbound Iron Springs Road from Gail Gardener Way to Meadow Ridge Road was closed until about 11 a.m. so traffic officers could investigated and clear the scene.
The cause of the crash is under investigation. Prescott PD reports that drugs and alcohol were not a factor in the accident.
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