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At least 18 hurt in Wisconsin school bus wreck

by Amy Judd | May 23, 2008 at 03:50 pm

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At least 18 people have been hurt this afternoon in Salem, Wisconsin when a school bus dropping children off from school was rear-ended by a semitrailer truck.
Two people have been air-lifted to hospital, and the severity of their injuries is unknown.

Two elementary-age students were severely hurt and were flown to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, said Lt. Paul Falduto, a sheriff's spokesman.

Reports varied between 18 and 20 injured people, he said.

"The other ones are anything from broken bones to scrapes and bruises," he said.

The collision occurred about 3:45 p.m. on the eastbound side of Wisconsin Highway 50 near County Trunk Highway B as the bus was dropping off children. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation announced on its Web site that all lanes of traffic in both directions from County Trunk Highway W to State Highway 75/83 were closed as of 4:30 p.m.

"The semi came over the hill and struck the bus right in the middle of the rear end," said Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth.

The sheriff said deputies accompanied the truck driver to the hospital as they investigated.

A woman who answered the phone at Wheatland Center School in Burlington, a prekindergarten through 8th grade school where the children are thought to be students, said the school would not comment until all parents were informed of the collision.

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Mikasi

at 19:46 on May 23rd, 2008

The only things I have been able to find out are that the bus was delivering kids from Wheatland Center and St. Alphonsus Grade Schools in New Munster, Wisconsin in the west side of the county, The semi driver was among the injured. On the bright side, none of the injuries are deemed life-threatening.

Amy Judd

at 19:56 on May 23rd, 2008

thanks for the update. I have been looking for more information too, but haven't been able to find anything more. The injuries do not seem to be life-threatening however, thanks goodness.

Amy Judd

at 19:57 on May 23rd, 2008

Here's what I could find:

"One
of the kids that was stepping off the bus was actually ejected as the
bus was hit from behind," said Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth.

Two other children, the truck driver and the bus driver also were seriously injured, Beth said.

The
injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, he said, but two of
the children were airlifted to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in
suburban Milwaukee.

The bus was loaded with 14 students from
Wheatland Center School District, ranging from fourth to eighth
graders. Each student suffered at least minor injuries was taken to one
of four area hospitals for treatment, Beth said.

"As rescue
people came, they found children scattered all over the grass. Some of
the children were bounced around pretty handily," Beth said.

The
front end of the semi was smashed in, and the bus was pushed at an
angle across part of the divided four-lane highway. Neither vehicle
tipped over.

He said investigators think the 51-year-old trucker
did not see the bus. There were no skid marks where the accident
happened about 3:40 p.m. just over a rolling ridge on state Highway 50.