Truck and school bus crash

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A truck driver is seriously injured and four children have minor injuries after a school bus and light truck crashed on State Highway 2, south of Te Puke today.

The road is now open for both lanes after diversions were earlier put in place at Rangiuru Road down Te Matai Road and back onto SH2, following the crash at Te Matai about 8.15am.

A light truck and school bus have collided on SH2, south of Te Puke. Photo: Ross Brown.

A Go Bus and light truck collided on SH2.

Western Bay of Plenty road policing manager, Senior Sergeant Ian Campion, says the truck driver is in a serious condition and four school children suffered very minor injuries.

Two of the children are from Te Puke Primary School, one from Te Puke Intermediate and teen from Te Puke High School. All four suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene but were not transported to hospital.

Ian says the school bus was full of children and heading towards Tauranga when it and the truck collided.

The driver, believed to be in his mid-20s, of the Chaytor Fences Ltd truck, was trapped for a short time before being freed by firefighters. He was taken to hospital by St John Ambulance paramedics.

The crash occurred quite near to Waitangi School and police say pupils are being walked the remaining distance. School staff are contacting parents to reassure them.

Witnesses say there were about 40 students on the Go Bus at the time.

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9 comments

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Posted on 11-02-2014 09:27 | By NZgirl

Glad that the kids weren't hurt too badly. However looking at some of the school buses they remind me of sardines packed into a tin. It's only a matter of time until a bus has a serious crash and our kids get hurt. It will only be then that something is done about the safety on school buses. In parts of Europe school kids on buses must wear seat lets and there is absolutely no standing allowed. I think this would be a good move in NZ


nzgirl

Posted on 11-02-2014 12:35 | By whatsinaname

I no what your saying about the busses packed like sardines. my granddaughter says there is not even standing room left on her bus. I no this is not relavant to this accident but it could happen.


reply to croweded school bus

Posted on 11-02-2014 13:34 | By freedomkiwis

Unfortunately the people you need to talk to re overcrowding on the buses, is the education department. They only fund so many buses and I can vouch both as a mother and a bus driver, that the bus driver worries equally as much as the parent (if not more). We see some incredibly stupid things on the road, right under our noses and accidents with a full bus are every drivers nightmare, as is hitting a child.


accident

Posted on 11-02-2014 13:55 | By rosscoo

what has the above got to do with accident. you do not know who was at fault. it may have been truck driver trying to beat the bus in speed. this is common accurance with most traffic on road. most motorist are often trying to get in front of bus even if bus has right away.


bus

Posted on 11-02-2014 17:04 | By kindacrazy girl

i was on the bus and no one was standing. i was the highschooler who was injured but it was only a little cut on my face. just to say that everyone was ok. my friend was the worst and just had cuts on her face and a couple of deep ones.


Well

Posted on 11-02-2014 19:18 | By Blessed

I know the diversion wasnt the safest, big rig drivers were close to the edge, i noticed the police stopped them in the end, Browns/Mark road r very narrow... and Waitangi is a 70k zone, not the 1st accident to occur here, usually cause people dont slow dwn, and pull out in front of oncoming traffic...


rossco

Posted on 11-02-2014 20:14 | By whatsinaname

I did say that overcrowding wasn't relavant in this case but if the bus had of been overcrowded like most school busses were it could of been worse.


Posted on 12-02-2014 21:32 | By kindacrazy girl

the bus was turning out of Te Matai School when the truck on the other side of the road (Opposite way) came towards us. I WAS IN IT. I WAS THE HIGH SCHOOLER THAT WAS IN THE PAPER!!!!!!!!!! I SAW EVERYTHING


Kindacrazy

Posted on 16-02-2014 21:48 | By Blessed

its ok, calm dwn, we know what happened lol Glad every1z ok..


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