School Van Driver Killed, Student Injured In Butler County Crash
CLINTON TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- The driver of a school van is dead and a 12-year-old girl was injured in a one-vehicle, rollover crash Thursday afternoon in Butler County.
The accident happened just before 4 p.m. along Saxonburg Boulevard in Clinton Township.
State police have identified the victim as 66-year-old Kathleen Webb of Sarver. Investigators say Webb was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
A more than two-mile stretch of Saxonburg Boulevard was closed for more than three hours late Thursday after the southbound W.L. Roenigk school van veered off the road, hit a tree and flipped over.
Webb was pronounced dead at the scene.
A 12-year-old, seventh grade student was the only passenger on the van at the time. She was flown by medical helicopter to Children's Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
"My understanding is that she was a student at St. Luke [Lutheran] School in Hannahstown and she was on her way home," said Elaine Rickard, of W.L. Roenigk.
"The driver has been with us a number of years, and she had an excellent safety record. We haven't had any problems to my knowledge with her," Rickard added. "We've had an excellent safety record. We… our number one concern is safety for our drivers and students."
Just before 7 p.m., the van was placed on a flatbed truck and the accident scene was cleared so the road could reopen.
There were no visible skid marks on the road, which would have indicated the driver tried to apply her brakes before crashing.
Investigators said that could indicate the driver suffered a medical emergency while behind the wheel.
State police in Butler County continue to investigate the crash.
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