CALDWELL, Idaho — A Caldwell school bus driver was cited after a Wednesday morning wreck that injured a child onboard and another driver.
The crash happened at 7:13 a.m. at the intersection of Ustick Road and Wagner Road southeast of Caldwell.
According to the Canyon County Sheriff's Office, witnesses say the bus was headed south on Wagner Road when the driver failed to yield at the stop sign and pulled out into traffic. The school bus was then struck by an eastbound Dodge Dart.
The driver of the Dodge Dart, a 61-year-old Parma man, was taken to a Caldwell hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Twelve children were riding the bus when the crash happened; one child suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene.
The students were all en route to Jefferson Middle School at the time.
The bus driver, 30-year-old Scott Letsom, was cited for inattentive driving. The school bus is registered to Caldwell Transportation Company.
According to the sheriff's office, the wreck triggered a second collision after a Chrysler van stopped in the eastbound lane behind the bus accident. The van was then sideswiped by a Chevy Avalanche that had been headed eastbound behind it.
The 16-year-old girl driving the Chevy had been unable to stop in the icy conditions, and was cited for driving too fast for conditions.
“This was a scary incident that could have been much worse,” said Sheriff Kieran Donahue. “I’m thankful there were no serious injuries, especially to any of the students. This should serve as a reminder to drivers that they need to pay extra attention while driving during the winter months, and more importantly, obey our traffic laws.”
