Six suffer minor injuries in Joliet Twp. school bus crash
BY SUSAN DEMAR LAFFERTY slafferty@southtownstar.com August 24, 2012 6:24PM
Updated: August 24, 2012 6:49PM
Five students from Union School in Joliet and a bus driver suffered minor injuries Friday when a school bus with 41 students on board was rear-ended by a sport utility vehicle while the bus was stopped on Manhattan Road, waiting to make a left turn onto White Street, Supt. Tim Baldermann said.
Students were on their way home after finishing their first week of school.
No one was hospitalized, but Baldermann said five students complained of aches and pains, and the bus driver, Patti LaRocca, had a “little whiplash” from the impact, Baldermann said.
“It appears to have been a distracted driver,” Baldermann said of the female driving the SUV, which was heavily damaged.
All parents were notified of the accident and most were able to pick up their students at the scene, Baldermann said. Other vehicles were used to take the remaining students home, Baldermann said.
“I’m grateful there were no serious injuries,” said Baldermann, who praised the school’s staff for its handling of the incident.
The Will County Sheriff’s department, which responded to the accident scene, could not be reached for comment.
