School Bus Crash Sends 9 West Deptford Kids to ER

Nine West Deptford students and a bus driver were taken to the hospital Tuesday afternoon after their school bus was T-boned by a GMC Jimmy at Grove and Hessian avenues in National Park. 

Two children complained of injuries. Neither student was seriously injured, Superintendent Kevin Kitchenman said, but emergency responders transported them to Underwood Memorial Hospital for complaints of head and neck pain.

Seven other students also were taken to Underwood for observation. All of the students are third- and fourth-graders.

The school bus driver also was injured, but not seriously, officials said.

School administrators and representatives from the bus company were at the emergency room to handle parent concerns. Kitchenman said most of the parents had already arrived at the hospital, and were with their children in the emergency department.

Ann Daley, whose daughter was on the bus, rushed to the crash scene after getting a call from the school, only to find out everyone was already at the hospital.

"It was really scary," she said.

School officials were at the emergency room when she arrived, and Daley said they kept everyone updated on the situation and did their best to reassure rattled parents.

"They handled it really well," she said.

Kitchenman provided a similiar assessment, praising staff efforts in the aftermath of the crash.

The GMC appeared to have run a red light and hit the bus near its right rear wheel, said.

Last update at 6:40 p.m., March 20. Stay with West Deptford Patch for updates on this story.