NAMPA, Idaho — This article originally appeared in The Idaho Press.
A Nampa school bus was hit by a pickup truck during a slick Monday morning commute in the Treasure Valley, injuring two students and the bus driver.
According to a spokesperson from the Nampa School District, the crash happened at around 7:20 a.m. when one of the district’s buses carrying special education students was hit.
Nampa police said the incident happened at the intersection of 8th Avenue S and 2nd Street S near downtown.
The bus driver and two students who were injured were taken to the hospital with “minor” injuries, according to the school district.
The driver of the pickup truck was cited for a stop sign violation, the district spokesperson said.
Nampa police said the area was cleared by 8:50 a.m.
There was precipitation throughout the Treasure Valley on Monday morning, with predominantly rain in Boise transitioning to snowfall the farther west one traveled.
Jaret Rogers, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said the Boise Airport saw snow from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. before conditions moved back to rain.
He added that reports showed Nampa getting just under an inch of snow while Caldwell “definitely got a pretty decent coating.”
“There was generally about a trace of snow up to about an inch across the Treasure Valley,” Rogers said of the weather conditions Monday morning.
Last week, Idaho State Police sent out tips regarding winter driving safety.
Included were reducing speed in poor conditions, increasing the following distance of cars ahead, staying in the vehicle during low visibility even if involved in an accident, avoiding distractions, and watching for road hazards such as icy overpasses and open-ground blizzards, according to a report from the Post Register in Idaho Falls.
In slick conditions, the Idaho Transportation Department recommends turning cruise control off, the Post Register reported. According to ITD, if the car starts to slide, take your foot off the gas and slowly turn the wheel in the direction of the skid. Try not to overcorrect, and don’t slam on the brakes.
Overall, Rogers said it has been a light snow winter thus far in the Treasure Valley. With that said, various parts of the region received a half-inch to three-quarters inch of rain over the weekend.
“Anytime you can get half-an-inch or more in an event, that’s something that I think will be welcomed this time of year,” Rogers said.
Additionally, Bogus Basin received 10 inches of snow over the weekend and 21 inches over the past seven days, Rogers said.
“They’re starting to build that snowpack up there, which is good,” he said.
This article originally appeared in The Idaho Press.
