Students Injured In Poudre School Bus Crash, Car Driver Seriously Hurt
LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)- Three students and an adult were hurt after a crash involving a car and a school bus in Larimer County Friday morning.
The crash happened near the intersection of Larimer County Roads 82 and 15, about a half mile east of Larimer County Road 15 at approximately 6:45 a.m. just north of Fort Collins.
The bus stopped to pick up seventh grader Brianna Meyer who attends Wellington Middle School, but she was sick Friday morning. That's when she heard a "boom" that she described as sounding like a shotgun.
"It sounded like a big shotgun that ... it just went off," Brianna Meyer said.
Jessica Scott, also a seventh grader, was supposed to be on the bus but wasn't Friday morning.
"I'm really glad I wasn't on it because of the wreck, but I feel bad because I wasn't there for everybody to be there with them," s Scott aaid.
Copter4 flew over the scene where a Toyota Solara had crashed into the bus and appeared to be smashed completely under the rear end of the Poudre School District bus. The driver's side door of the car under the bus was open.
It took two tow trucks to remove the Toyota from underneath the school bus.
Brianna and her mother, Patti Meyer, rushed outside to throw a blanket over the female driver.
The female driver of the car was airlifted to Medical Center of the Rockies with serious injuries.
"As you come up that hill it's really difficult to see this area anyway," said Patti Meyer.
Three students were hurt in the crash. They are awaiting X-ray results at Poudre Valley Hospital.
A total of nine people were on board the bus during the crash, including the driver. The bus driver was not hurt but Brianna Meyer and Scott said the bus driver was in shock.
Amaris Rodriguez was on that when the Toyota slammed into it.
"It sounded like a big old shotgun," Rodriguez said. "At that moment my back hurt and I didn't even realize it because I was so worried about the driver."
The impact forced Rodriguez out of her seat. Classmate Wyett Poole saw the car coming.
"I turned around and I only saw about an inch of a trunk of a car, so I knew that a car was all the way under the bus," Poole said.
The bus was traveling to Wellington Middle School and Eyestone Elementary in Wellington. It was previously reported that the students were traveling to Rice Elementary.
What caused that crash is being investigated. Witnesses said they believe sun glare could have been a factor in the crash.
