Bad Month for Buses

 Fender Bender #2 for Prince Edward

Another Prince Edward County school bus received minor damage in a fender bender on Thursday, November 21.

Virginia State Trooper T.D. Walker responded to the minor crash at the intersection of Mil-Scott Road and Kingsville Road just outside Hampden-Sydney.

A 2010 Chevrolet HHR, driven by Jennifer A. Downey, age 55 of Brookneal, was travelling on Kingsville Road behind the school bus. According to the police report, the bus stopped on Kingsville Road to let children off near Mil-Scott Road. The bus then crossed the centerline and backed into Mil-Scott Road to turn around. The trooper indicated that the flashing hazard lights on the bus were activated as the bus attempted to turn around.

The two vehicles collided with the bus struck on the driver’s side, causing less than $500 damage to the bus and approximately $1400 damage to the HHR.

None of the students on the bus were injured. They were immediately transferred to another bus that continued the afternoon’s route.

At press time, no charges had been filed. Trooper T.D. Walker is the investigating officer.

Charges were filed in last week’s crash, also involving a Prince Edward County School Bus. The report from the Virginia State Police is below.

Virginia State Police Trooper T.D. Walker responded to a crash involving a Prince Edward County School Bus and a vehicle on Nov. 18, 2013, at approximately 4:19 p.m.  The crash occurred at the intersection of Route 604 (Abilene Road) and Bell Calhoun Drive in Prince Edward County.

The bus traveling south on Route 604 had come to a stop with its lights activated in order to unload children at the intersection. As the children were departing the bus, a 2006 Ford Mustang, also traveling south on Route 604, struck the bus from the rear.

The driver of the vehicle, Douglas K. Parrish, 51, of Charlotte Court House, Va., was transported to Southside Community Hospital by ambulance with serious injuries. He has been charged with following too close.

The bus was carrying approximately 16 children at the time of the crash. Seven of them suffered minor injuries but none of the children was transported by ambulance to the hospital.

The crash remains under investigation.