FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – Police in Fort Wayne are blaming the sun and a dirty windshield for a crash involving a local school bus. It happened yesterday morning on the way to school.
The Indiana State Police say a woman was speeding in her Kia when she slammed into the back of a minivan, which then hit the back of a Fort Wayne Community Schools bus.
There were seven kids on the bus at the time, they weren’t hurt, but police say the driver and a bus-aide were taken to the hospital as a precaution. Troopers say the woman in the Kia couldn’t see the bus or van, and didn’t slow down.
Police officials released the following on Wednesday:
This morning at approximately 8:00am, officers from the Fort Wayne Post and the Fort Wayne Police Department responded to a reported multi-vehicle crash on Cook Road near Turnstone Blvd involving a FWCS school bus. Upon arrival, troopers found two passenger vehicles crashed into the rear of FWCS school bus number 218 which was transporting (7) students.
Fort Wayne Fire Department and Three Rivers Ambulance Authority EMS personnel were quickly on scene and provided medical care to those in need. None of the student passengers were injured during the crash. There was an adult passenger (aide) on the school bus that was transported to the hospital with a complaint of pain, and the school bus driver was taken for medical clearance only. The two other drivers did not require medical care at the scene.
According to the trooper’s preliminary crash investigation, school bus #218 was stopped eastbound on Cook Road waiting to turn. A gray 2011 Honda Odyssey van was also stopped eastbound directly behind the school bus. A white 2008 Kia Optima passenger car, driven by Alaina Hille, 21, of Fort Wayne, was traveling eastbound on Cook Road at what witnesses alleged to be a high rate of speed. Hille failed to observe that traffic was stopped in front of her, and then failed to get stopped for the standing traffic. Hille’s vehicle crashed into the rear of the Honda Odyssey, which then forced the Honda Odyssey into the rear of the school bus.
Upon the trooper’s arrival, it was noted that the rising sun was creating a strong glare for eastbound drivers, however it was also noted that windshield in Hille’s car was dirty and contributed to visual difficulty related to the suns glare.
The Indiana State Police would use the circumstances of this crash as a general safety reminder for all motorists. Mother nature alone can be a real distraction for those early morning commutes, and so it is imperative that drivers keep all windows in there vehicle, especially the windshield, clean and clear of all obstructions. Drivers should also plan their morning commute accordingly to allow for plenty of travel time so as not to be rushed. Traveling at reduced speeds with a clean an unobstructed view will greatly increase the odds of a safe morning commute for all.
The Indiana State Police was assisted at the scene by FWPD, FWFD, TRAA EMS, and Parker’s Wrecker Service.
There is no further information to release at this time.
