Richard Froese
South Peace News
Motorists are reminded to be cautious in the vicinity of travelling school buses following a minor collision Feb. 1 near High Prairie Elementary School.
A High Prairie School Division bus received minor damage in a crash with a passenger van around 8:30 a.m., High Prairie RCMP S/Sgt. Bryce Tarzwell says.
The bus was in motion at the intersection of 48 St (Highway 749) and 58 Ave. when the incident occurred, he notes.
No one was injured in the incident.
Motorists are advised to be aware of school buses.
“Always watch for buses that are stopped because of the potential of children entering the roadway,” Tarzwell says.
Cause of the crash is undetermined and still under investigation.
The bus sustained light front-end damage while the van received more severe damage to the front, Tarzwell says.
HPSD Supt. Laura Poloz says 10 passengers were on the bus at the time, including students from HPE, Prairie River Junior High School and E.W. Pratt High School.
All students were taken to the High Prairie Health Complex as a safety measure, she says.
Poloz says the bus was damaged on the right front corner.
Protocol for collisions involving a bus is part of the Government of Alberta’s Mandatory Entry-Level Training (MELT) for Class 1 and 2 driver’s licences, she says.
“It is also part of our protocol to debrief those involved with the incident, find areas of growth and provide training and support,” Poloz says.
“In this instance, the information reviewed included parts of the MELT curriculum and first-aid primary assessment.”