CLARKS SUMMIT, Pa. — Some students were hurt in a crash between a school bus and van Friday morning in Lackawanna County.
It happened outside Clarks Summit Elementary on Grove Street in Clarks Summit.
A van and bus transporting students in the Abington Heights School District collided at the school around 8:30 a.m.
The school van carrying students hit the back of the bus. There's some extensive damage to the front of the van.
Clarks Summit police say the driver of the school van suffered a medical emergency that led to the crash.
There were 24 students on the bus at the time, getting ready to get off when the bus was hit.
First-grader Tarrell Davis was on the bus. His mother Patricia got the call from the school.
"They called and said a few of the kids hit their head. Tarrell was one of them. They said he could stay, or I could come pick him up, so I was like, 'I'm going to come pick him up and take him to the hospital. I didn't know it was that bad with the van because I thought, 'They're in a parking lot, how fast could they be going?' i thought it was just a little fender bender," Patricia Davis said.
Police say the school van had eight students inside when it hit the back of the bus at an estimated 16 to 20 miles an hour. Clarks Summit police say the driver of that van was taken to the hospital and is in critical condition.
Four students were also taken to the hospital by ambulance.
"Nothing life-threatening, you know, (It) ran from bumps and bruises to scrapes and one or two more major things but nothing life-threatening," said Clarks Summit Patrolman Eric Williams.
"He said his head is hurting really bad and there is a lump on the back of his head, so we're going to get him checked out to see if there's any concussions or not," Davis added.
Clarks Summit police say because of the number of people involved, it was chaotic at first.
"A lot of people running around – parents, kids, you know. We got everything under control the best we could, but it took quite some time," said Williams.
Police say if the bus hadn't been there, this crash could have been worse, especially if the van had hit the school.
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