By Toni Scott
Chico Enterprise-Record
CONCOW, Calif. — A bus filled with 27 schoolchildren collided with a car Tuesday afternoon, resulting in minor injuries for four students from Golden Feather School District in Concow.
Shortly before 3 p.m., kindergarten through eighth-grade students from Spring Valley School and Concow School were traveling home for the day on a bus heading northbound on Concow Road. As the bus neared Hoffman Road, it was struck by a red Honda Civic driven by Guy Beauregard Chancellor, 22, of Concow.
Chancellor lost control of his vehicle while trying to maneuver a curve on the wet and sandy roadway, and crossed into the northbound lane from his southbound lane, ultimately striking the front left section of the bus.
The impact, as well as the bus driver’s attempt to avoid the collision by braking, sent several children lurching forward in the bus, which was not equipped with seatbelts.
California Highway Patrol Officer Mike Ticknor said four children complained of dizziness after striking the seat in front of them with their heads. Two of the children were taken by ambulance to Feather River Hospital, with another two transported to Oroville Hospital. All four were reported to be suffering from minor injuries, with medical attention being precautionary.
The remaining students remained safely inside the bus, with the accident blocking traffic in both directions for approximately one hour. Chancellor and the bus driver, whose name was not released, were both uninjured. Damage to the bus was only minor, with Chancellor’s vehicle sustaining moderate damage.
District superintendent Lora Haston arrived at the scene of the collision within minutes of its report, helping to coordinate the safe return of the students to their parents.
Haston said the school’s emergency phone notification system went into effect as soon as she heard of the accident, and several parents arrived at the scene to pick up their children.
The few students not retrieved from the bus were transported back to the school by a separate bus and driver to wait for their parents’ arrival.
Though the injuries to students were minor, the accident aquired a large response from emergency personnel, including the California Highway Patrol, Cal Fire-Butte County and medical personnel.
Ticknor said with the potential victims being children, the emergency response was heightened in case the accident was more critical.
“Anytime we’re dealing with something of this nature we want to make sure we have enough emergency personnel on scene to encourage quick medical attention,” Ticknor said.