ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, December 17, 1996 TAG: 9612170073
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: READ MOUNTAIN
SOURCE: MATT CHITTUM
A tractor-trailer ran a traffic signal and hit a bus half full of Lord Botetourt High School students Monday, sending two of them to the hospital.
Phyllis Marilyn Parrish had just dropped off half her load at Read Mountain Middle School and was on her way to Lord Botetourt when the accident happened just before 9 a.m. She waited for a green signal and pulled out of Read Mountain Road to head north on U.S. 220 alternate, State Trooper Gary Straub said, but made it only halfway through the intersection when the tractor-trailer careened off the left rear side of the bus.
Four of the 27 students complained of injuries, but two refused treatment. The other two were taken to Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital, one with a lower back injury and one with a knee injury. Their names were not released.
The rest of the students were transferred to another bus and taken to school where six to eight of them started feeling bad, checked out of school early and went to the doctor, Larry Hall, transportation supervisor for the Botetourt County school system said. "They were pretty shook up and had some bumps and bruises."
The truck driver told Straub he was going about 50 mph when he hit the bus. Straub said the driver saw the signal turn yellow and thought he could make it, but slammed on his brakes at the last second. It appeared the truck skidded 60 or 70 feet before the collision.
Sarbjit S. Dosanjh, 37, a driver for United Terminals Ltd. of Missisauga, Ontario, Canada, was charged with reckless driving.
LENGTH: Short : 39 linesby CNB