Three people, including two children, were injured Friday morning when their car collided with a Hot Springs school bus at Crescent and Silver, resulting in a small power outage, city police said. No students were on board the bus at the time.
The driver of the 2001 Honda Accord, Karen Cook, 53, of Pine Bluff, was eastbound on Silver Street approaching the Crescent Street intersection when she applied her brakes, which failed, Hot Springs police Cpl. Kirk Zaner said.
The front of the Accord struck the front left tire area of the 2007 International school bus, driven by Johnny Dorsey, 60, of Malvern, which was northbound on Crescent Street. Dorsey was the only occupant in the bus, Zaner said.
"The school bus left the roadway and traveled approximately 125 feet, striking a drainage culvert, AT&T box, Entergy power pole and a stop sign, breaking all."
Cook had a 4-year-old and a 10-year-old in her vehicle, and all three were injured in the collision. Zaner said Cook had an open wound to her left leg, while the 10-year-old complained of chest pain and the 4-year-old had an abrasion and swelling on his forehead. They were all transported to an area hospital.
Cook will be cited for defective brakes, driving on a suspended driver's license and no child safety seat, he said.
Jim Garland, Entergy Arkansas Inc.'s regional customer service manager, said the damage to the utility pole, which occurred just before 8 a.m. Friday in the area near Langston School, caused a power outage to about 180 customers in the area, including the school.
Garland said in an email around 10:20 a.m. Friday that crews were on site working to repair the broken pole. The original estimated restoration time was 1 p.m. Friday, but shortly after noon the utility's online outage map showed power had been restored.
"Thankfully it's a beautiful, sunny day and our second- through fourth-graders are having their field day today off-site at Linden Park because of our construction," Stephanie Nehus, superintendent, said Friday. "Langston has plenty of windows so we are carrying on with school today.
"We expect the power to be restored by noon. We're having sack lunches, which was already planned because of field day, so we've got sack lunches for everybody.
"I don't have the specifics on the accident, but I was told our driver was not at fault. The pictures I've seen did not show the side of the bus that was hit, but I would imagine it will be out of commission until it gets fixed because it was hit pretty hard."
Local on 04/21/2018