Minor Injuries When Bus Tilts

A soft road shoulder gave way beneath a stopped school bus Tuesday, causing the bus to tip off the road at an angle and leaving 12 children with minor injuries, authorities said.

A Lakeland School District driver told Kootenai County sheriff’s deputies that she stopped her bus on a county road south of Idaho 54 to settle a discipline problem.

When the driver started the bus again, the shoulder gave way, sheriff’s authorities said. The bus slid into a ditch and remained upright at an extreme angle.

Several children complained of bumps and bruises. Twelve were treated and released from Kootenai Medical Center, hospital spokesman Mike Regan said.

The driver has been taken off the route while the accident is investigated, said Bob Dutton, district assistant superintendent.

Several citizen complaints about the bus driver have recently been received, and district authorities were reviewing the complaints, Dutton said.