A fatigued box truck driver is suspected to be at fault in a fatal accident involving a school bus on Thursday in rural Washington five miles north of Orlando. The truck crashed into both a school bus and a car, killing the 22-year-old driver of the car.
Motorist Dead After Accident, Students Suffer Only Minor Injury
The driver veered out of his lane and into oncoming traffic. Washington State Patrol indicated that their early investigation pointed to the driver falling asleep. Douglas County Sheriff Harvey Gjesdal called the accident the worst he had seen in his 30-year career.
Of all of the people involved in the accident, 56 were transported to the hospital for medical examination and care. All of the 43 students on the bus were taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure, but authorities report that none of the students suffered critical injury. Seven people, including the driver and passenger of the box truck, were more seriously injured.
Driver Kenneth Hahn was cited last year after crossing the center line in an injury accident a year ago.
Sources:
The Seattle Times
Columbus Dispatch