Fisk School Bus Rear-Ended Near the Mall

The school bus involved in an accident in Salem this afternoon was carrying Fisk Elementary School students, according to Superintendent Michael Delahanty.

According to Delahanty, Bus 308 was on South Policy heading toward Fisk School when it stopped to discharge students. At that time, a truck rear-ended the bus.

Initial reports indicated that the accident took place near the Woodland Terrace intersection.

Bus routes were running earlier than usual because it was a half-day for students.

Delahanty described the police and fire response as "very swift," with the 22 students remaining on the bus being checked quickly.

He said the bus had dropped off some students in its route before it was rear-ended.

Delahanty said that two students had self-reported injuries after the accident. After contacting the father, paramedics cleared one of the children. The other was transported to Parkland Medical Center for precautionary purposes.

First Student, the bus transportation company used by the district, dispatched another bus to drop off the remaining children.

Parents who called the school to ask why their children were late in arriving to their stops were told about the accident by an office secretary.

Bus 308 travels on Main Street, dropping students off along the way as it turns on Pleasant Street and later both South Policy and Route 38.

Delahanty said that in nearly 10 years as superintendent, bus accidents have thankfully been few and far between. He has seen four of five in his tenure, including an incident last year, where someone backed out of their driveway and crashed into the side of a bus.

In that incident, First Student followed the same practice of sending another bus.

One witness described the truck as "definitely totaled." According to a Tweet from the Eagle Tribune, the truck driver received a summons as a result of the accident.