Cause of Quincy school bus crash still unclear
Herald Staff Writer | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 12 years, 8 months AGO
QUINCY - The Washington State Patrol is still looking for answers in a Quincy school bus crash that injured multiple students and the driver.
The 2009 International school bus was driven by Donna K. Eaton, 59, Quincy, who has been with the Quincy School District for more than 20 years, according to district officials.
Eaton was driving the bus north on state Route 281 Monday at about 8:20 a.m. when the vehicle left the road to the right, according to the Washington State Patrol. Eaton reportedly overcorrected and lost control of the bus, which rolled onto its right side off the right side of the roadway, striking the ditch and rolling once.
She was transported for treatment of injuries to Central Washington Hospital in Wenatchee and released Monday night.
State patrol detectives said 38 students also suffered some sort of injury, including injuries to the head, arm, hip, shoulder, pain to the neck and back, contusions, abrasions and lacerations.
School district officials said Monday there were 37 students on the bus, ranging from kindergarten to high school age.
All injured students were transported to area hospitals.
In their report Tuesday, the state patrol listed just one student name - Jessica Rosales, 16, Quincy - who was airlifted to Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake and reportedly released Tuesday morning.
Quincy School District Transportation Supervisor Rod McKnight, who was one of the first to arrive at the scene of the crash Monday, said the school bus held up the way it was designed.
"People are talking about seatbelts on buses, but if they would have had seatbelts those kids would've been left hanging for a good 20 minutes," McKnight said. "That's why buses are designed the way they are. The kids get thrown around a little bit but they don't get thrown out."
State patrol troopers took possession of a bus-mounted camera at the scene and will use it to determine the chain of events leading up to the crash.
Weather was not determined to be a factor in the crash, nor was alcohol or drug use, according to the Washington State Patrol, and rumors of a possible tire blowout appear to be unfounded at this time.
Anyone who saw the collision or any event leading up to it, or who knows someone that did, is asked to contact Washington State Patrol Detective Sergeant Jerry Cooper at 360-805-1192 or Detective Curt Ladines at 360-805-1160.
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