Bus Accidents Prompt School Officials, Police to Urge Road Safety

school officials and local police are urging drivers to be extra cautious around school buses following two bus-related in just two days.

The latest crash happened Tuesday afternoon in at the intersection of Beaver and Chestnut roads outside the .

“We’ve had complaints in the past about that intersection … that some drivers are not stopping when the buses are stopped,” said Edgeworth Patrolman Paul Yolinsky.

But in this incident, Yolinksy said, this school van, described as a short bus, did not have any flashers on.

The crash happened around 1:30 p.m. after the bus, driven by Kenneth Heyl of Sewickley, pulled out from the stop sign on Chestnut Road. Police said the bus collided with Kayleigh Brown's southbound Dodge Durango, after the 26-year-old Pittsburgh resident went through the stop sign on Beaver Street. 

Yolinsky said neither driver complained of injuries and no students were on the bus at the time.

“Thank God, no kids were on board because it was a pretty big impact,” Yolinsky said.

John Sheline, the district's director of finance and operation, said the impact took the front fender off the Quaker Valley bus. The SUV had to be towed.

School officials said the bus was headed to to pick up kindergarten students.

“It seems like it’s happening far more frequently,” said Assistant Superintendent Heidi Ondek, who has a first-grader in the district. “It’s really just a lot of distracted drivers in a hurry.”

Edgeworth police cited Kayleigh Brown with failing to stop at a stop sign.

A day earlier, cited Kyleigh Abraham, 24, of Baden, with failing to obey traffic signals. Police said Abraham's Chevy Cobalt ran a red light around 7:50 a.m. at the intersection of Beaver and Broad streets and with a bus transporting about 20 pupils to .

Police initially reported in the crash, but Sheline said a child on the bus experienced some bruising after the fact and was sent home by the school nurse. The pupil received treatment and was back in school Tuesday, he said.

“We’re a little concerned, obviously. In two days we’ve had a situation with people not obeying normal street signs,” Sheline said.

Ondek said bus drivers are noticing more vehicles disobeying traffic laws, such as rolling through stop signs or worse -- attempting to bypass on-duty buses when they stop to pick up or drop off students.

Sheline, who oversees the district's transportation, said bus drivers at the start of each school year are given a pep talk about bus safety and how to handle such situations. Monarch Transportation, the bus company the district contracts with for transportation, gives its drivers a similar talk, Sheline said.

Sheline said he hoped motorists would be extra vigilant around school buses, especially during dismissals or when students are walking or waiting to be picked up.

“Hopefully the public will take note,” Sheline said.