Accident at Walker Road Intersection Pits Packed Elementary School Bus vs. Car

A Monday afternoon accident between an Avon Lake school bus packed with students, and a car, did not result in any injuries.

Avon Lake police sergeant Fran Tibbitts said the accident was reported at about 3:35 p.m.

"The investigation is still under investigation at this time," Tibbitts said.

Tibbitts said he believed there were 38 students on the bus. Two young males were in the car.

The car sustained heavy front-end damage.

"The bus didn't budge," he said. "That thing is a tank."

The car caught on the bus's bumper and a wheel. Superintendent of Schools Bob Scott said as a result, the axel snapped, as designed, to absorb shock. The bus was driven off the road and another bus came to transport the students home.

The elementary school bus was loaded with kindergartners to fourth-grade students. Following the accident, police and paramedics responded, checking everyone in both vehicles.

Scott happened upon the accident just after it happened and credited responders for their efforts.

"I would like to say thank you to the firefighters, police officers and paramedics who responded," Scott said. "They did a great job handling the situation and especially did a wonderful job of working with the students on the bus."

He commended responders for how they handled the situation with the children.

"Even though there were no injuries the process of checking every child can be scary," Scott said. "The responders worked quickly in evaluating every student in a non-threatening manner. The professionalism of our responders made a difficult situation much easier for all involved."