Crash of Canfield school buses probed

By Elise Franco

A school-bus driver did not immediately report the accident.

CANFIELD — City police are investigating the crash of two Canfield city school buses, the drivers of which are on administrative leave while school officials conduct their own investigations.

Assistant Police Chief Andy Bodzak said a bus backed into another bus around 8:30 a.m. Monday on Montgomery Drive, but the department wasn’t notified of the accident until about 3 p.m. that day.

Bodzak said it was the mother of a Hilltop Elementary student on one of the buses who actually informed police of the crash.

“The mother called us asking for the police report, and we told her we had no information on this,” he said.

Bodzak said the driver told police during questioning Thursday that he was attempting to get a better view of a student waiting for the bus, but the bus windows were foggy.

Bodzak said the driver used poor judgment in backing the bus up with limited visibility — and in not immediately reporting the accident.

“He said he panicked and was concerned for his license and concerned about negative publicity for the school and for himself,” he said. “He decided not to call it in as protocol requires.”

Each school district is required to adopt its own policy for handling bus emergencies, according to the Ohio Department of Education.

“The policy shall describe how to protect the accident scene, evacuate and control students; evaluate the need for medical assistance; notify the responsible law-enforcement agency, school officials and emergency services; collect and record data essential to the preparation of required reports; and communicate with parents or guardians.”

Bodzak said the bus driver’s protocol was to radio his supervisor, who would then contact authorities before going out to the crash scene.

Because the back door of the bus fell off in the crash, the children from the bus that had backed up were loaded onto the other bus and transported to the school, Bodzak said. He said the driver of the backing-up bus told his supervisor the accident occurred on Hilltop Elementary property, when in fact Montgomery is a city road.

He said the department is still investigating, and once it’s finished, he will meet with the prosecutor to discuss filing charges.

“We’re still conducting interviews. We’re about 50 percent done with the investigation,” he said. Mahoning County Area Court Prosecutor Nick Modarelli will determine if the matter merits prosecution.

Bodzak said at this point he can’t say if charges will be filed. “We do have concerns regarding his original report to his supervisor,” he said.

District Superintendent Dante Zambrini said he was informed of the accident Monday by the transportation director.

He said the students involved were then sent to the nurse’s office for evaluation. No serious injuries were reported.

“The school nurse did triage those children after the accident, and parents were called for any child who expressed discomfort,” he said. “We also sent a letter home to parents that afternoon.”

Jane Miner, who contacted police, said she found out about the accident at about 1 p.m. when the school nurse called asking permission to give her 8-year-old daughter an ice pack for a headache.

“Once I realized what had happened, I picked up my daughter and took her to the emergency room,” she said.

Miner said a doctor diagnosed her daughter with a lump on the back of her head, whiplash and lumbar sacral strain in her back, and gave her pain medication. She has been home from school since Monday afternoon.

“She’s pretty sore and hurt,” Miner said. She said she hasn’t spoken with any other parents whose children were involved.

Miner said she plans to take legal action.

“I was totally dumbfounded and shocked,” she said. “I don’t know how [the driver] thought he could cover this up.”

Zambrini said both drivers have been placed on paid leave. In addition, the district is conducting its own internal investigation, which he said should be completed in another three or four days.

“We are concerned about the safety of the children first,” he said. “As a district we always conduct an internal investigation.”

Zambrini said he was limited in what he could disclose because of the investigation, but once it is completed he said the board of education will review it and decide the best course.

efranco@vindy.com