9 Injured as Princeton School Bus Hits Tree on Valley Road

Eight middle school students and their school bus driver were injured Tuesday after their bus ran off the road and crashed into a large tree on Valley Road in Princeton.

The accident occurred at 3:23 pm, according to Princeton Township Police, who said the 19 students, all boys, were being bused from John Witherspoon Middle School to the baseball field on Valley Road, next the Princeton Regional School District's administration building.

The injuries to the boys and the female driver, Christine Walker, 43, of Hamilton, were non-life threatening and consisted mainly of bumps and bruises, police said. All were transported from the scene to University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro.

The baseball field is just a few blocks from John Witherspoon.

"The bus driver was driving down the road and lost control of the bus," Princeton Assistant Superintendent Lew Goldstein said.

The bus struck a large tree and the impact left the right front end or entry side of the vehicle crushed. The damage was extensive enough to require the bus to be towed from the scene.

The baseball players were taken inside the school administration building and their parents notified. 

Princeton Fire Aid and Rescue Squad, Princeton Fire Department, West Windsor First Aid and Hillsborough EMS also responded to the scene. 

The cause of the crash remains under investigation. No charges have been filed. 

More information about this incident will be provided as it becomes available.