An accident involving a Towanda Area School District vehicle on Tuesday left two dead including a 9-year-old student.
According to the Pennsylvania State Police, the crash occurred at around 2:20 p.m. on Route 6 west of the intersection with Bailey Road in Sullivan Township in Tioga County.
A Towanda Area School District vehicle was traveling east when it entered the other lane for an unknown reason and struck a commercial vehicle traveling west.
The driver of the school district vehicle and a 9-year-old boy were killed in the accident. Two other Towanda students, a 12-year-old boy and a 6-year-old boy, were airlifted from the scene to the hospital.
The Pennsylvania State Police identified the school vehicle driver as 66-year-old Ronald Wickwire.
“Our hearts are devastated and hurting. We will have support and counselors available for our students tomorrow and please keep our students and the Black Knight community in your hearts as we grieve for the loss we suffered and pray for those that are affected,” Towanda Superintendent Erick Cummings said in a statement released by the state police.
Cummings also released the following statement on the school district’s Facebook page:
“It is with profound sadness that we were notified that four members of the Towanda Area School District community were involved in a vehicle accident at the end of the school day today April 29th.
The Pennsylvania State Police have confirmed that two of our students were transported to the hospital, and tragically, another student and the driver did not survive the accident.
The loss of any life is absolutely heartbreaking and our thoughts and prayers go out to the families, friends, teachers, and colleagues of the individuals involved.
As students come to school tomorrow, grief counseling services will be available to students and staff at each building of our school district to support our students through this period of sadness.”
The investigation into the crash is ongoing.
