School bus driver sent to hospital after crash in Galt, truck driver in custody
GALT – A school bus driver transporting students Tuesday evening was sent to the hospital and another driver is behind bars after a crash in Galt Tuesday evening, officials said.
The school bus crashed with a white pickup truck in the area of A Street and Oak Avenue in Galt around 5:30 p.m. The bus also struck a power pole.
The CHP said there were 20 students on the Galt Joint Unified School District bus at the time of the crash and none of them were injured. The students were reunited with a parent or guardian.
The school bus driver was taken to the hospital for complaints of pain, the California Highway Patrol said.
The Galt Police Department said the driver of the pickup truck was taken into custody on suspicion of DUI.
SMUD reported roughly 300 customers lost power in the area. Power was expected to be restored sometime before midnight.
One student said they woke up to see the white truck speeding by.
"I just remember hearing a crash and then a scream and everyone came out and it happened really quick. The paramedics came, they called the paramedic," said Rocsi Salinas. "I think everyone was like scared, it's never happened to us before, we're a bunch of teenagers."
Salinas said the bus driver is loved by the students and he makes an effort to know everyone on a personal level.
The driver of the pickup truck has been identified by CHP as 66-year-old Galt resident Alfredo Robles.
Details haven't been released about how the crash happened. The CHP is leading the investigation.