11 students injured in bus accident
A
school bus accident in Santa Ynez sent 11 elementary and middle school students
to the hospital Jan. 22 and Jan. 23 with minor injuries. All were treated and
released to their parents.
Nine
students were taken to the emergency room at the hospital in Solvang, two on
backboards, just after the accident occurred at about 3:15 p.m. on Jan. 22 at
the intersection of Stadium Way and Refugio Road near Santa Ynez Valley Union
High School.
Initially,
nine of the students were taken by ambulance to Santa Ynez Valley Cottage
Hospital in Solvang. Two additional students were taken to the emergency room
at the hospital early Jan. 23 complaining of pain and bruises. The hospital’s
managing nurse said all students who were brought into the hospital after the
accident were “fully x-rayed” and found to have minor injuries, which were
treated before they were released to their parents.
A
total of 30 students, kindergarten through 8th grade were on the buses,
according to California Highway Patrol Officer Felipe Hernandez. He said the
two buses, from College School District in Solvang, were dropping students off
in the neighborhood behind the high school when Bus 7, which was southbound on
Refugio Road, slid into Bus 11, which was slowing down near Stadium Road.
The
buses were traveling at about 25 miles per hour on wet roads at the time of the
collision, he said. Twenty students were on Bus 7 and 10 were riding on Bus 11,
when the accident occurred. The drivers were not injured. The accident is under
investigation.
Paramedics
and ambulances from American Medical Response and the Santa Barbara County Fire
Department were on the scene and helped to transport the injured students to
the hospital.