SILVERTON, Ore. -- A school bus driver and one teenage passenger received minor injuries Monday afternoon when the bus lost control and flipped onto its side on Highway 213 north of Silverton. The bus was transporting four students from the Livingstone Adventists Academy in Salem.
According to Oregon State Police (OSP) Sgt. Dale Young, on April 7 about 4:20 p.m. the bus, driven by 38-year old Salem resident Raymond Ortiz, was traveling north on Highway 213 and down a short hill near Herigstad Road. The school bus was approaching a northbound Toyota sedan from behind when the Toyota slowed down and signaled to turn right into a driveway.
The driver and one student received minor injuries in the crash - OSP photo
A northbound minivan between the Toyota and the bus slammed on its brakes at the last moment, nearly striking the Toyota and almost losing control. Ortiz braked to avoid a collision with the minivan, but the bus began to slide sideways out of control, spun around 180-degrees across the southbound lane, and as its tires hit the soft shoulder the bus flipped onto its right side. The driver of the minivan did not stop, OSP said.
Ortiz and 17-year-old Garrett Holmes of Oregon City were transported to Silverton Hospital where they were treated and released for minor injuries. The other bus passengers on board, boys aged 14, 15, and 16, were uninjured, the news release stated.
Heavy rain showers and standing water on the roadway may have contributed to the crash, Sgt. Young said.
The investigation is ongoing and no citations have yet been issued.