By STACEY PLAISANCE / L’Observateur / February 22, 1999

LAPLACE – Sixteen East St. John High School students were taken to areahospitals Thursday afternoon after a delivery truck rear-ended their school bus on Airline Highway.

Acadian Ambulance and the LaPlace Volunteer Fire Department responded after the driver of a St. Rose Nursery truck lost control of his vehicle,which collided with St. John Parish School Bus No. 68, said State TrooperHoward Amos. The truck skid off the highway and into a nearby ditchfollowing its collision with the school bus, Amos said.

Students suffering minor injury and driver of the school bus were transported to River Parishes Hospital, Kenner Regional Medical Center and St. James Parish Hospital, Amos said. Myron Singleton, the truck’s driver, was rushed to River Parishes Hospital less than one mile away from the accident scene, suffering moderate injuries to his head and left leg, according to Lt. Michael Tregre with theSt. John Parish Sheriff’s Office.He was released shortly after receiving treatment, hospital spokesman Sean Roussel said.

“The truck driver had a gash on his face just over his eye brow and a big cut on his left leg,” Tregre said. “Some of the kids only suffered minorinjury and appear to be fine, as well as the bus driver.”Amos said the bus was struck shortly after unloading some students at a nearby trailer park on St. Charles Court, just off Airline Highway.Singleton apparently misjudged the speed and proximity of the school bus, causing the accident, he said.

“Judging from the size of the skid marks, the truck driver was going pretty fast when it hit the bus,” Amos said. “The driver lost control andlanded in the ditch.”

Return To News Stories