Just before 10:15, Friday morning rescue crews from Aetna, Hose, Hook, and Ladder, New Castle County Paramedics, Elkton’s Singerly Fire Company, and Trooper 4 were dispatched to the 2100 block of Pleasant Valley Road in Newark for reports of a crash involving an occupied schools bus.
While en route crews were told that ten children were on the bus and that one of the vehicles was on fire. They also learned that the children were being taken off the bus.
First arriving crews reported that they had a vehicle fire and ordered the road closed. Initial reports from the scene indicated that no one on the bus was seriously injured.
Aetna Deputy Chief Jeff Sands said that crews arrived to find a two-vehicle collision with a pickup truck on fire as a result of the crash. Responders simultaneously began checking for injuries and treating injured patients while extinguishing the fire. In total there were 6 patients, all with minor injuries: one was transported by ambulance to Christiana Hospital, two were transported by ambulance to Nemours / A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children, and three were assessed by EMS but declined transport.
New Castle County Paramedics said the three patients, a 32-year-old male, a 15-year-old male, and a 14-year-old suffered only minor injuries. The 32-year-old male was transported to Christiana Hospital via Aetna Hose, Hook, and Ladder Company ambulance, and the 15-year-old male was transported to A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children via the University of Delaware Emergency Care Unit ambulance.
An additional pediatric patient was transported to A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children via Singerly Fire Company #1 ambulance. The 14-year-old female and refused transport per parents.
All patients were in stable condition at the time of transport.
It’s not clear which school the students were from. Radio traffic indicated that parents were on scene shortly after the accident.
Pleasant Valley Road was closed while crews cleared the accident.
