One adult was transported and is being held overnight at Lebanon Community Hospital following the wreck of a District 55 school bus on Sodaville-Mountain Home Drive early Monday morning.
The bus, driven by Ina Lee, 58, carried six children and another bus driver. The adult passenger, Emma Flanagan, 55, complained of pains in her left shoulder, Sheriff Dave Burright said.
Flanagan was being held overnight for observation, School District 55 Transportation Supervisor L.D. Ellison said. She was aboard the bus conducting a route audit, which includes information to update route sheets.
One of the six students complained of small bump on her head, Sheriff Burright said.
The students were examined by Sweet Home paramedics at the scene of the accident. Parents picked up their children from the accident.
“It could have been a lot worse,” Sheriff Burright said. “It was just a simple driver error. She got to far to the right.”
At about 6:30 a.m, the wheels of the bus hit the soft edge of the winding gravel roadway drawing the bus over the embankment, Ellison said. The bus came to rest on its right side below the five- or six-foot embankment. The bus driver was suspended by her seat belt. She was freed by students on the bus.
There will be no citations issued in the accident, Sheriff Burright said.
The district will investigate the accident, Ellison said. Lee was placed on paid leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
“We just want to make sure she’s ready to go back to work and transport kids,” Ellison said.
Lee has driven bus for School District 55 since November 1993.
The 72-passenger bus is 37.5 feet long. It will likely not be placed back into service. The district had insurance on the bus, but it will likely not cover the full cost of a new bus.
Ellison said the buses structure and reinforcement probably prevented more injuries.