Kids Hurt When Truck Hits Bus

Seven school children suffered minor injuries Thursday afternoon after a pickup truck slid into the back of their school bus.

It was sixth time a Lakeland School District bus has been involved in an accident in the past year and a half, said Superintendent Bob Jones.

In all but one case, the buses were hit by other drivers.

“It’s a bad case of the bad lucks,” Jones said.

At about 3:45 p.m. Thursday, the bus was eastbound on Cloverleaf Road near Hauser, carrying about 37 children, said Idaho State Police Cpl. Jerry Oden.

A pickup truck, driven by Sean Miranda, 27, of Post Falls, was following the bus.

The bus driver stopped and turned on flashing lights to drop off a child just north of state Highway 53.

Miranda told police he was momentarily distracted and had to quickly step on the brake.

“He said he tried to stop, but he slid on the compact snow and ice,” Oden said.

The accident caused about $2,000 in damage to the bus, Jones said.

Six children who complained of pain were taken to Kootenai Medical Center by ambulance. Parents brought a seventh child in later, Jones said. Hospital officials expected all the youths to be released late Thursday.

Last February, 27 Lakeland school children suffered minor injuries after slick roads sent a Suburban sliding into a bus.

In May, 12 children were hospitalized after the bus driver stopped on the side of the road and the bus slid into a ditch. None of the children were seriously hurt.

Jones believes Lakeland has more than its share of accidents because it is such a rural school district. Many roads in the area are covered with ice and snow throughout the winter.

, DataTimes