ALLENTOWN — Eleven middle school students and a driver were treated for minor injuries after a school bus accident on Monday morning.
The Upper Freehold Regional School District bus hit a tree along Meirs Road at approximately 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 31 while en route to the Stone Bridge Middle School. The New Jersey State Police continue to investigate the accident.
“It’s everyone’s nightmare to hear about a school bus accident,” Superintendent of Schools Dick Fitzpatrick said.
Fitzpatrick and middle school Principal Mark Guterl immediately responded to the scene of the accident.
“The kids exhibited maturity,” Fitzpatrick said. “They were taken with the seriousness of the moment and acted appropriately. Eleven children went to CentraState. Seven were transported by ambulance.”
Students who were not injured in the accident took care of their peers and the driver, ensuring the driver was conscious, asking the driver if he needed help with the radio and evacuating the bus in an orderly fashion, according to Fitzpatrick.
“Students are paying attention in bus safety classes,” Fitzpatrick said.
Guterl said that he recognized the students on the bus for acting appropriately over the loud speaker in school. He also said he may ask those students who took charge in the incident to help lead bus safety classes in the future.
Once the bus had been towed from the scene, Fitzpatrick drove to CentraState Medical Center in Freehold Township to check on the injured students.
“Because all of the students had parents there, they could not let me into the ward,” he said. “I made certain that everyone was all right, and that they each had an adult there representing their needs. The nurse said there were no serious injuries … just routine bumps, bruises and scratches. One child had five stitches [in his knee]. Other than that, it was Band-Aids and sore kids with whiplash.”
Although a rumor spread that a child broke an arm in the incident, Fitzpatrick reported that the student had his arm in a sling due to bruising.
“There was no fracture,” Fitzpatrick said.
Some of the 23 students on the bus were not wearing seatbelts, according to Fitzpatrick. He said the middle school would reiterate the value of wearing seatbelts with students.
The police conducted a field sobriety test of the driver, Fitzpatrick said.
“The blood test was clean and clear,” Fitzpatrick said. “The driver is under the care of workman’s comp. The driver will not drive or be released until we OK his fitness for duty and until we are reassured he can be driving.”