School Bus Overturns In Collision With Tractor In Solano County

SOLANO COUNTY (CBS13) – A school bus with special needs students on board overturned on its side Wednesday morning after colliding with a tractor the bus driver tried to pass in Solano County, according to the CHP.

The accident happened just before 7:30 a.m. at Hackman and Runge Road in the Dixon area.

The five students on board the bus, ages 16-22, were taken to the hospital with minor injuries described as bumps and bruises. The driver of the bus was also transported with moderate injuries.

"He (the bus driver) violated a vehicle section code crossing over a double yellow line," Officer Chris Parker of the Solano CHP office said.

The tractor was going eastbound on Hackman with the school bus following behind it, according to the CHP, when it tried to make the pass and realized too late that the tractor was making a left hand turn on to Runge Road. The bus clipped the rear back tire of the tractor and overturned.

The driver of the tractor was unhurt.

"This was really alarming to hop out of my car and see this bus on its side," said Dixon Unified Interim Superintendent Brian Dolan. "When it's your more vulnerable students you'd expect someone caring for them would do everything they can to keep them safe."

Dolan said the school district contracts out with a private company, Michael's Transportation of Vallejo, for the bus service. He said it's too early to say what might happen to the bus driver, whose name wasn't immediately available.

"Well, that's not my call at this point in time," he said. "He's an employee with a private (company) with whom we contract.

"It would certainly concern me (if he were allowed to drive the students again)."

Michael's Transportation declined to comment, and the district said it would await the completion of the CHP investigation.