UPDATE: On Thursday, the Plainfield Community School Corporation said they were aware that two of their high school students were involved in the crash. They were transported to area hospitals.
AVON, Ind. — A school bus and a car collided head-on not far from Avon High School Wednesday afternoon.
“It’s a very gut-wrenching circumstance to know your child might have been involved in an accident,” said Brian Nugent, the Avon Police Deputy Chief.
Avon Police said more than 30 elementary aged children and their bus driver were headed South on Dan Jones Rd. when the bus and car collided.
”At some point, one of these vehicles would’ve left their respective lanes of travel and so that’s what remains under investigation at this point,” Nugent said.
The crash happened around 3:30 p.m. just down the road from Avon High School. A spokesperson for Avon Community Schools said the school bus was full of Cedar Elementary School students.
Nugent said the two people in the car involved in the accident were initially trapped inside the vehicle.
”The Avon Fire Department were assisted by other first responders and actually physically had to make their way into the vehicle to remove them,” Nugent said.
Both people inside were taken to nearby hospitals, Nugent said the driver has very serious injuries.
At this time, Avon Police have not released any names or ages of the driver and passenger in the car. A spokesperson for Avon Community Schools said the two are not students in their system.
”I just hope that they are okay too, and obviously nobody does that on purpose,” said Terri Hylton, a neighbor near the crash. “And thank goodness all the kids are okay.”
The more than 30 children on the bus were quickly brought to another bus and driven to Avon High School where they were reunited with their parents.
”We understand that parents have a lot of fear, we understand that these are very difficult circumstances and the fear of the unknown,” Nugent said. “We all have our own children, as well, and we can understand that.”
As for the site of the crash, Nugent said the stretch of Dan Jones Rd. between Bradford Rd. and Township Line Rd. isn’t a spot where they see a lot of crashes.
”This roadway is not a very popular roadway, in the sense of having accidents, and certainly not accidents of this nature,” he said.
Nearby neighbor Terri Hylton agreed but said it is a high trafficked road.
”I’m not really surprised there might have been an incident with the new construction that’s happened and the high school letting out, it’s a busy time,” she said.
Nugent said there is a camera in the school bus that should help in determining what caused the crash. He said he expects the investigation to take several weeks.
In a statement Wednesday night, Avon Police said, “Our officers and investigators have absolutely no reason to believe that this accident was the result of impaired or aggressive driving by either vehicle/driver. “
Avon Community Schools had counselors on scene when students were reunited with their parents after the crash and will continue to offer those services at school on Thursday.
