UPDATE | Fowler Township crash sends several to the hospital

FOWLER — State Route 305 just west of state Route 193 is back open after being closed more than two hours for a head-on 8:30 a.m. crash involving a 10-passenger transport bus and a Cadillac Escalade.

A third vehicle also hit the back of the bus.

The two employees of the Siffrin Transportation bus and the five passengers were all taken to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital for treatment and to be checked.

The driver of the Escalade also was taken to the hospital and appeared to have the most serious injuries. The driver of the other vehicle also was taken to the hospital with unspecified injuries.

The passengers were upset but appeared to have suffered mostly cuts and bruises, said Todd Metzendorf, head of the Fowler Township EMS and one of the first people on the scene.

The bus and one of the other vehicles were still at the scene until about 10:30 a.m., and then workers cleaned up the debris on the road and reopened it to traffic.

Metzendorf said one or two of the passengers in the bus was in a wheel chair. The others were seat belted.

The drivers of the Escalade and the bus were described as trapped initially, but the bus driver was able to get herself out of the seat on her own. But first responders could not initially get into the bus because the doors were jammed. A mechanical device was used to get inside, Metzendorf said.

The Fowler Fire Department was the primary agency involved, but the fire departments in Cortland, Johnston, Vienna, Bazetta and Howland also responded to the scene to assist.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is handling the investigation.