Danville Crash Causes Significant Damage: 79-Yr-Old School Bus Driver Cited

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A school bus was involved in an accident on Thursday afternoon in Pittsylvania County that resulted in two persons being sent to the hospital. The 79-year-old bus driver was charged in the accident, according to the police.

At at 3:35 p.m. on Thursday, a collision between Pittsylvania County Schools bus No. 162 and a 2000 Chevrolet 1500 pickup truck occurred close to the intersection of Franklin Turnpike and Oak Forest Circle.

Vivian H. Hall of Danville was driving the bus, which had turned onto Franklin Turnpike from Mount Hermon Circle.

A Pittsylvania County Public Schools bus merged into the truck's lane to make a right turn onto Oak Forest Circle as the truck, driven by a 16-year-old from Danville, was traveling south on Franklin Turnpike "in the far right lane," Corinne Geller, a spokesperson for the Virginia State Police, told the Register & Bee.

According to Geller, the bus ran off the right side of the road as a result of the collision and collided with a gas pipe, an electric sign, and a utility pole. The Chevrolet, in that time, "ran off the right side of the road and struck a road sign and a phone box."

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It was determined that the school bus hit the truck. According to Geller, Hall received a citation for performing an unsafe lane change.

Photo byContributor Photo/Danville Register & Bee

The bus is seen stopped next to the Mama Possum's restaurant sign in pictures from the scene that were given to the Register & Bee.

Photo byContributor Photo/Danville Register & Bee

The bus's hood dangled from the front of the vehicle. The truck was seen in a ditch in another image. As Danville Utilities workers performed repairs, power lines were also pictured hanging.

Photo byContributor Photo/Danville Register & Bee

21 students from Chatham Middle and Chatham High School were being transported home by the bus.

According to a news release from Kenyon Scott, assistant superintendent for operations at Pittsylvania County Schools, "building-level administrators from both schools, along with other school division staff, spoke with the students who were on the bus at the time of the incident and collaborated with emergency services personnel to address students' needs and to respond to those who reported having been injured."

None of the 21 student passengers who were riding the bus at the time of the collision were hurt, according to Geller. The student and the bus driver were, however, transferred to Sovah Health-Danville for examination, according to Scott's report. Geller said that Hall had only minor injuries.

Nurses from both schools followed up with students involved in the crash on Friday morning, according to Scott.

In order to address any associated safety and personnel problems, Scott stated that "the Transportation Department and state law enforcement officials are conducting a thorough investigation of the incident and will respond appropriately to the information gathered."

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