Bus mishap brings probe

By WILLIAM K. ALCORN

alcorn@vindy.com

CAMPBELL

An investigation will be done to determine the cause of a Youngstown school-bus accident.

A driver lost control of his bus Tuesday morning coming off Sixteenth Street onto Blossom Avenue in Campbell and came to a stop between two homes on Blossom after crossing a lawn.

No students were on the bus when the accident occurred about 8:30 a.m., and the driver was not injured. The student had been dropped off at St. Joseph the Provider School on Porter Avenue about a block away from the accident scene, said Anthony DeNiro, assistant superintendent for business affairs for the Youngstown City School District.

DeNiro said there was minimal damage to the bus, the driver-side mirror was knocked off, and a downspout on the home at 521 Blossom was damaged. He said the school district will repair the home and the lawn that were damaged.

The accident, which the driver said was caused when his foot got caught between the gas and brake pedals, will be investigated following normal procedures, DeNiro said.

The first step was to send the driver, David Harris of Youngstown, who has been driving for Youngstown schools for 16 years, for testing to determine if alcohol or drugs were involved.

Harris will not be permitted to drive a school bus until the test results are back, DeNiro said.

After the investigation, it will be determined if mechanical failure or driver error was involved and if any discipline will result, he said.