State Police at Kirkwood have issued this correction to their original news release on a crash involving a Susquehanna Valley School bus crash on Wednesday morning: All of the students on the school bus were evaluated by a school nurse. No students were transported to the hospital. Police had initially reported 15 children were taken to a local hospital for evaluation.
ORIGINAL NEW RELEASE (WEDNESDAY):
At approximately 8:24 a.m., New York State at Kirkwood responded to a crash involving a Susquehanna Valley Central School District school bus and a Buick Terraza on State Highway 11 at the intersection with School Avenue in the Town of Kirkwood.
A state police investigation revealed the school bus was stopped, displaying flashing lights and with the stop sign extended out. The driver of the Buick, Michael D. Patchen, age 56, of Conklin, failed to observe the stopped school bus and rear-ended the bus. Two children had entered the bus, just prior to the crash. A total of 27 elementary school students were on the bus, along with bus driver Mary C. Reardon, age 61.
Patchen was transported to UHS Wilson Medical Center in Johnson City with injuries to his hands, which were not considered to be life-threatening. The children were evaluated on the scene, then transported to another bus to Francis P. Donnelly Elementary School where they were evaluated by a school nurse; 15 children were transported to UHS Wilson Medical Center for further evaluation, according to State Police.
A posting on the Susquehanna Valley district website reported none of the injuries to the elementary students were serious.
