8 students, driver injured in school bus crash in Washington County

MOUNT PLEASANT TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Eight students and the bus driver were injured in a school bus crash in Washington County on Thursday.

According to witnesses, the bus was full of high school-aged Western Area Career and Technology Center students from the Fort Cherry School District when it ran off Westland Road near Second Street in the Westland area of Mt. Pleasant Township around 2:30 Thursday afternoon.

A Washington County school bus crash sent nine people to the hospital Thursday afternoon.

Two students were flown by helicopter in serious condition—one to Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh and the other to UPMC Presbyterian.

“I hope to God the two that were life-flighted are okay,” said neighbor Lisa Widener.

Six other students were hospitalized with minor injuries, along with the driver of the Fort Cherry school bus.

“Just seeing how hard the bus nosedived when it came across the road, I know the kids have to be seriously hurt from jarring around,” said witness Danae Ruschell.

“I heard a loud metal crash bang and my daughter my screamed and I looked out the window and saw a bus smashing across the road into the grass, slammed down, and just kept rolling,” Ruschell said.

According to witnesses, the bus hit a fence before splitting the gap between a pair of trees and careening into a field.

“She [the driver] had, for whatever reason, lost control and came off the road where that squad is at, came into the field, into the hill, the bus violently bounced up and down several times creating injuries to the students that they sustained,” said Chief Tom Bruce, with Fort Cherry Ambulance.

It’s still unclear what caused the driver to lose control.

The Pennsylvania State Police crash unit is investigating.

Some of the bus seats had to be cut out so injured students could be removed.

Neighbors are hoping they are all okay.

“I can just imagine what the parents or grandparents are going through knowing that their kids were in an accident, especially the two that were life-flighted,” Widener said.

In a statement, Fort Cherry’s superintendent, Thomas Samosky, said, in part, “We can report that all students and the driver have been assessed, and at this time, we are monitoring their condition closely. We want to extend our deepest gratitude to the first responders who arrived quickly at the scene and provided immediate care and assistance.”

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