Two children were hospitalized after a welding truck collided with a school bus on Highway 567, one kilometre east of Symon’s Valley Road on June 11 at around 7:30 a.m.
The children were transported to Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary where they were treated for minor injuries and later released.
At the time of the accident there were six elementary school-aged children on the school bus, according to Airdrie RCMP Cst. Robert Frizzell.
“The parents of the children on the bus were contacted and notified and the children were taken into the custody of their parents when they arrived,” said Frizzell.
Students on the bus were on their way to Our Lady Queen of Peace Elementary School in Airdrie, a school that is run by the Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD).
The school district contracts the services of First Student Canada for transport of rural students.
CCSD spokesperson Janet Corsten says the school district is not seeking to press charges against First Student Canada.
“Any charges to be pressed will be in the hands of the RCMP,” said Corsten. “We’ll follow up to determine what happened but we won’t go much beyond that.”
The collision occurred when an eastbound school bus operated by First Student Canada turned left into the path of a westbound welding truck. The school bus driver was subsequently charged by the RCMP for making an unsafe left turn.
Alcohol or speed are not considered factors in the accident.
Representatives from First Student Canada could not be reached for comment before press time.
