SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — Blue Mountain students were on a bus that was involved in a chain reaction accident in the borough Wednesday.
Schuylkill Haven police Chief Jeff Walcott said no students were injured on the R&J bus as a result of the accident that took place at 3:14 p.m. in the northbound lane in front of 210 Centre Ave. in the borough. He said the bus had at least 20 students on at the time of the accident and was stopped in traffic.
“The mini van failed to stop for stopped traffic,” Walcott said of a gray Dodge Grand Caravan, which had at least four people in it.
A woman who said she was the driver said no one was injured. In all, five vehicles were involved in the accident, Walcott said. The Dodge hit a Volvo, which appeared to have major damage to the back of the car and was towed from the scene. That hit at 2013 Ford Focus that in turn hit a 2012 Hyundai Tuscon. The Tuscon then hit the bus. Walcott did not release the names of the occupants of the vehicles as officers were still gathering information.
Jennifer Curran, 44, of Pottsville, said she was driving the Hyundai.
“I hit the bus,” she said.
She is OK. Curran said she normally takes Route 183 but decided not to Wednesday. She was stuck in traffic and then all of the sudden heard the noise behind her.
Nicholas Allisson, 17, of Orwigsburg, said he was driving the Ford Focus and was going to go to the emergency room to get checked out for whiplash.
Blue Mountain Superintendent David Helsel confirmed no students were injured. Helsel was notified by his secretary and later the transportation director for the district. The students involved were “high school- and middle-aged students.” He did not know exactly how many students were on the bus. Those students will be evaluated by district health staff today to make sure they are OK, he said. District administrators helped to make phone calls to parents of the students, Helsel said. Robo-calls were also made notifying parents of the accident and that no students were injured. Parents were directed to call if they had any questions, Helsel said.