8 students, school bus driver injured in Washington County crash
MT. PLEASANT TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) -- Eight students and a school bus driver were injured after a crash in Washington County on Thursday.
Dispatchers said the bus crashed on Westland Road near Third Street around 2:30 p.m. in Mount Pleasant Township on Thursday.
Two students were flown to hospitals in Pittsburgh and are in serious condition, officials said. Everyone else's injuries were described as moderate.
The Fort Cherry School District's superintendent said eight students who attend the Western Area Career and Technology Center in Canonsburg were on the bus when it crashed. School leaders are keeping a close eye on all of their conditions.
In a statement, the superintendent called the safety of students a top priority and thanked first responders for their actions at the scene.
"We want to extend our deepest gratitude to the first responders who arrived quickly at the scene and provided immediate care and assistance. Their professionalism and dedication are truly appreciated by our entire school community."
Officials said the driver lost control of the bus. No other vehicles were involved.
"She managed to get through those trees and over those humps where it was throwing the kids way up the air there," neighbor Lisa Morris said.
Donald Morris, who lives nearby, said he heard a loud sound and then watched the bus come through a field before coming to a stop.
"My neighbor ran out, I ran up. She called 911. I jumped up on the bus to make sure the kids were OK. Everyone said they were okay. The bus driver had come down off the bus and she said she blacked out," Donald Morris said.
"The one kid was complaining about his back, and the other girl said she couldn't feel her legs," he added.
The Pennsylvania State Police are investigating.
The crash in Mt. Pleasant Township comes just one day after a motorcyclist was killed after crashing into a bus carrying Knoch School District elementary students in Butler County.