SAVANNAH, WAYNE CO. -- Investigators with the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department have watched the video from the camera on board the bus involved in this week’s crash in Savannah.
Police say there was serious damage to the camera, and they do not believe the tape will help them very much in their investigation.
In the meantime, the investigators have not yet spoken to any of the children who were on board the bus, some of whom were injured in the crash with a snow plow.
Friday morning update:
A school bus carrying fifth- and sixth-graders slammed into the back of a town snowplow on a Central New York road, injuring 22 children and the bus driver.
Wayne County sheriff's officials said two of the most seriously injured children were sitting in the front seat on the right side of the bus when it hit the plow around 7:50 a.m. Thursday at an intersection in the rural town of Savannah, 30 miles west of Syracuse.
The front end of the Clyde-Savannah Central School District bus was heavily damaged, crumpled as far back as the windshield and the front door.
The two students, one of them an 11-year-old boy and the other a girl, were trapped for about 30 minutes. The bus driver was trapped for about an hour, Chief Deputy Bob Hetzke said.
The boy and the driver, a woman in her early 40s, were in serious condition after being airlifted to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, hospital spokeswoman Doretta Royer said. Friday morning, the hospital reports the driver has been upgraded to good condition, while the eleven-year-old remains in serious condition.
Two other students were in guarded condition at Golisano Children's Hospital in Rochester, said Tom Rickey, a spokeswoman there.
Twenty-one children were taken to nearby Newark-Wayne Community Hospital, where 16 were treated and released and two were transferred by helicopter to the Rochester hospital.
Most of the children at the Newark hospital had bumps and bruises, with some others suffering broken bones, hospital spokesman Doug Stark said.
Hetzke said the bus had dropped off students at Clyde Elementary School and was heading east on Route 31 to bring others to Savannah Elementary School when it slammed into the rear of a plow that was clearing a side road.
The collision happened at the crest of a hill surrounded by snowy fields, and glare off the snow may have prevented the bus driver from seeing the plow clearly, Hetzke said.
"It could be a speculation, but we've got the bus coming out of a curve that is in the shadows, entering into an environment of bright sun over two snow-covered fields on either side," he said. "With a wet road, sun low in the sky, I'm sure glare probably is a contributing factor."
Although it was snowing in the Syracuse area around the time of the crash, it wasn't known if that was a factor. The accident was in an area dotted by farms, forests and swamps along an upstate snow belt often hit hard by lake-effect storms off of Lake Ontario.
Savannah Highway Superintendent Allen Sherman said the plow driver wasn't hurt.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Thursday noon update:
The Wayne County Sheriff's Department says one of the children involved in the crash between a snow plow and a Clyde-Savannah school bus is in critical condition.
The sheriff says the student has multiple broken bones. He says two students and the bus driver had to be airlifted by Mercy Flight to Syracuse.
Officials say two of the injured students were trapped in the bus for about 30 minutes and the driver was trapped for about an hour.
The Clyde-Savannah Central School District bus hit the plow around 7:50 a.m. Thursday at an intersection in the rural town of Savannah, 30 miles west of Syracuse.
Twenty-one children were taken to the local hospital, with 16 treated and released. The plow driver wasn't injured.
Original Story from Thursday morning:
Authorities say a school bus carrying 22 elementary school students collided with a snowplow on a Central New York road, injuring 17 children and the bus driver.
Wayne County sheriff's officials say two of the injured students were trapped in the bus for about 30 minutes and the woman driver was trapped for about an hour.
A spokeswoman at Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse says an 11-year-old boy and the driver are being treated after being flown there by helicopter.
The Clyde-Savannah Central School District bus hit the plow around 7:50 a.m. Thursday at an intersection in the rural town of Savannah, 30 miles west of Syracuse.
Sixteen children were taken to a nearby hospital, where nine of them were treated and released and one was transferred to a Rochester hospital. The plow driver wasn't hurt. At least eight ambulances and two helicopters were called to the scene.
"I'm relieved that my kids were not on the bus, but I know everyone in town, so I kinda hope everyone else's kids are doing good too" said one unnamed parent.
When reached for an update on the crash, school superintendent Dr. Theresa Pulos said "Mostly seems like bumps and bruises... but many did go to the hospital as a precaution. Not really sure what the status of any of those kids are right now."
The school district has posted a statement on its website regarding the crash. It reads:
There has been an accident involving a Clyde-Savannah school bus and a Town of Savannah snowplow.
Thank you to all of the first responders for their assistance and care of those involved in the accident. The district would also like to extend their appreciation and gratitude to the community and neighboring school districts for their concern, support and prayers.
We will continue to update our site throughout the day with more information as it becomes available.
The State DOT reports that Route 31 in both directions is closed between Messner Road and Grand Avenue until further notice while crews continue to work at the scene.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.