MANSFIELD - Eleven students were taken to the hospital with mostly minor injuries after a tractor-trailer struck the rear of a school bus Friday afternoon on Interstate 71 southbound near the US 30 ramp.
The truck, driven by Jean Braeckel, 55, of Ontario, Canada, rear-ended the Marysville school bus with 45 students and three adults on board shortly after 1 p.m. Friday. The bus was driven by James Lemaster, 64, of Marysville, who was taken to OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital. Braeckel was cited for failure to maintain assured clear distance ahead.
The Mansfield post of the Ohio Highway Patrol was at the scene investigating the crash, along with Mifflin Township/Richland County fire and emergency rescue personnel and other EMS officials from various departments. None of the injuries were life-threatening, according to the patrol.
Bus passenger Scott Stackhouse, assistant principal of Marysville High School, said the students were members of an English class studying film that had just visited the Ohio State Reformatory. The group had eaten lunch after the visit and had been on the road just a few minutes when the crash happened.
The impact was substantial and sent the bus fish-tailing, but the bus driver maintained the vehicle, Stackhouse said, adding the bus driver Lemaster would be getting an award.
"Honestly, it felt like something exploded," Stackhouse, a Willard native, said of the moment of impact. "The driver did a fantastic job."
He said no one screamed at impact and it was noticeably quiet.
An RCT bus and squads and cruisers were used to take the uninjured students and adults to Der Dutchman restaurant to wait for another Marysville bus to pick them up. The bus pulled into the restaurant on Ohio 97 just after the students arrived.
Mike Bailey, emergency management director for Richland County, said 11 students were being treated at OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital for injuries Friday afternoon. Two additional students were going to seek treatment, as they are not feeling well, Stackhouse said as he and students were dropped off at Der Dutchman restaurant.
Parents seeking information about a child can call 419-520-2798, Bailey said.
lwhitmir@nncogannett.com
419-521-7223
Twitter: @LWhtimir
