Saline school bus involved in collision Tuesday morning
A Saline Area Schools bus was involved in a crash Tuesday morning while picking up students to take them to the high school.
Saline Area Schools is waiting on a police report for more details on a crash Tuesday morning involving one of its school buses headed to the high school.
AnnArbor.com file photo
No one was injured and there was minimal damage to the bus. It is not clear how many students were on the bus at the time of the collision.
Laatsch said it is not known whether the bus slid into the other vehicle or vice versa. He said the district is still waiting for an official police report.
All of the students were transported to the high school, Laatsch said.
The incident was one of at least two school bus accidents in Washtenaw County Tuesday. A Washtenaw Intermediate School District bus carrying Ypsilanti Public Schools students also was involved in an accident Tuesday. Five elementary students were transported to the hospital in that collision, which involved a Ford Ranger truck rear-ending the bus.
Danielle Arndt covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. Follow her on Twitter @DanielleArndt or email her at daniellearndt@annarbor.com.
Comments
joech
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 7:14 a.m.
To those who have advocated cancelling school bus service because of these accidents: Have any of you bothered to look for the root cause of the accidents? I am willing to bet that the root cause is the historically horrible road maintenance that occurs in Southeast Michigan after snowstorms -- NOT the buses themselves. Timely plowing would go very far in preventing both deep snow and black ice, which one of the posters mentions. For some reason, people here in Michigan have been conditioned to believe that plowing a day or more after the snow storm (rather than during or immediately afterwards) is "timely." Most states have plows going during the snowstorm -- not just after it's over. They even plow the same major streets and highways several times during many storms. This way, those people unfortunate enough to be driving during the storm have a fighting chance to get to their destination. Here in Michigan, we're lucky if we ever see a plow less than 24 hours after the storm ends. It's almost like the powers-that-be, in their infinite "wisdom," decide if the car drivers have been successful or not in pushing enough snow out of the way to avoid having to send out the plows. Most of the time when I see a plow on the street (where the plow is actually deployed) in Michigan, it is simply pushing the remnants of the snow further off the shoulder of the road or highway. I can't recall the last time I saw a plow actually plowing during a storm or immediately afterwards. And no, dumping tons of salt onto 3-4 inches of snow is not the same thing as plowing. Either way, the poor drivers end up being the ones doing the majority of the snow clearing for at least the first 24 hours. This is totally backwards. If we were in any other state, the people would be screaming for better road service.
jns131
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 6:26 p.m.
So let me see here. An accident yesterday rear ending a bus in Ypsilanti, another yesterday in Saline and guess what? A car hit an AAPS bus this morning near Platt and Ellsworth. Should see the car, nothing left. Bus is going to need cosmetics. What is going this week? People slow down. You are risking childrens lives here. I hate to say it, but I am praying nothing bad really happens. Stay safe and watch out for big bad and yellow.
Dave
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 1:35 p.m.
Those are some young looking high school kids in that bus pic.
G-Man
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 2:08 p.m.
Yah, and very green leaves on the trees in the background.....
G-Man
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 1:35 p.m.
I think its past time to consider eliminating busing. So many parents drive their kids to school now and then the kids drive themselves when they're of age. The costs of busing are paid by all taxpayers, whether we have kids in school, or not. It would create jobs, as there would be as market for transporting some kids that the parents absolutely could not take to school, not to mention not having to maintain and house buses, buy fuel or breathe the exhaust...... A lot of money can be saved. Also, bus crashes would be non-existent ......
jns131
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 6:29 p.m.
This would also increase gas emissions into the atmosphere and the cost of gas to drive to and from school? AAPS wants to eliminate 5 mill from its payroll. Guess what they want to do? Eliminate busing completely. Hate to say it, bad idea because it just makes more traffic headaches for the schools. Sad but true.
ThinkingOne
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 5:10 p.m.
Interesting thought... Eliminating jobs for the people that transport a large percentage of students would have the net effect of creating jobs because there would be a (theoretically smaller) market only for the kids that absolutely could not get to school another way? Of course, the bus crashes that are being eliminated would be replaced by crashes involving whatever transport system you would employ for these 'hard core' users of transportation that no longer use a bus.
Basic Bob
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 1:17 p.m.
I'm just guessing that if the bus was struck by another vehicle, we would have all the details.
ThinkingOne
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 5:37 p.m.
I'm just guessing that if all the skid traces are on the car's side of the road; and they veer into the buses' side of the road; it was probably the car that struck the bus. But I will leave it up to you to make the judgement, since apparently you were not there but still feel so qualified to make that judgement.
sellers
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 1:25 p.m.
Yes - many quick to lay judgement without facts.
applehazar
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 1:01 p.m.
The question is why doesn't Pittsfield township and saline salt intersections. Even stonebridge salts intersections (at residents expense). Textile has been a skating rink for the past 3 days. No salt at all
FGR Fan
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 2:38 p.m.
Please know that Stonebridge Community residents OWN the roads in the sub-dvision - they are not county or township roads. Residents do pay dues to maintain/replace/plow them - our intersections, roads and sidewalks are plowed and salted within hours of a snowfall.
sellers
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 1:24 p.m.
They do - it all comes down to money and taxes and knowing when to use and waste it (see Basic Bob)
Basic Bob
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 1:15 p.m.
Salt is ineffective at this temperature. It will not melt the ice. Calcium chloride would work, but it's a bit more expensive and usually is not required in southeast Michigan winters. Sand or cinders would give some traction. Skate at your own risk. Pittsfield does not have a road crew, the roads are maintained by WCRC. Stonebridge can do whatever their residents desire to supplement the road commission's responsibility.
Fat Bill
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 11:35 a.m.
When you consider the miles per day driven by a fleet the size of Saline's, with all of the stops and turns, it is amazing how few accidents occur. School buses remain the safest way to commute to school.
jns131
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 6:30 p.m.
Amen. Should see a car after hitting big bad and yellow.
PineyWoodsGuy
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 5:09 a.m.
Deep Snow is not the only problem for these un-wieldy long motor vehicles filled with children. In fact, traffic safety experts make a strong case that Black Ice, of which the current weather conditions have produced an abundance, is a Much More Dangerous driving condition than is Deep Snow. School officials should examine the wisdom of calling a "Black Ice Day" as well as the traditional "Snow Day." Goggle it!
sellers
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 1:23 p.m.
While black ice is always a danger, folks in northern states are experienced in driving in this. If we closed schools for such it would be very disruptive to the teaching and learning as cold days like this week lead to snow that does not melt - and drivers adjust. There will always be outliers. Fat Bill is 100% correct, for the amount of times driven, the congestion near the schools on start/end time, there are few accidents and even future injurious.