Oak Ridge: Driver runs red light, crashes into school bus

Posted at 5:15 pm October 19, 2016
By John Huotari 10 Comments

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Note: This story was updated at 6:10 p.m.

No students were injured in a school bus crash on Wednesday afternoon when the driver of a car ran a red light and collided with the bus, the City of Oak Ridge said in a press release.

The crash was reported at about 12:20 p.m. Wednesday at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike and Georgia Avenue. A preliminary investigation by Oak Ridge Police Department officers revealed that the driver of a four-door Volkswagen Passat sedan ran the red light, causing a collision with the school bus, the press release said.

There were three children on the bus at the time of the crash, along with the school bus driver. None of them were injured, the city said.

The driver of the sedan was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center for minor injuries and was later released, the press release said. The car had what appeared to be significant damage to the middle of its driver’s side. It ended up on the sidewalk on the west side of Georgia Avenue, facing southeast. The car was towed away.

The First Student bus, Bus 56, was reported to be going north on Georgia Avenue at the time of the crash. It had what appeared to be minor damage to its right front corner, with one headlight damaged. The bus was driven away.

Officials from Jefferson Middle School, First Student, and Oak Ridge Schools responded.

Charges against the driver of the sedan, which was reported to be heading west on Oak Ridge Turnpike, are pending, the press release said. The driver’s name and age weren’t available Wednesday afternoon.

“This incident remains under investigation by the Oak Ridge Police Department,” the press release said. “No further information will be released at this time.”

The Oak Ridge Fire Department and Anderson County EMS also responded to the crash.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

school-bus-crash-oak-ridge-turnpike-georgia-avenue-oct-19-2016

No students were injured in a school bus crash on Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 19, 2016, when the driver of a car ran a red light and collided with the bus at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike and Georgia Avenue, the City of Oak Ridge said in a press release. The bus, Bus 56, had what appeared to be minor damage to its right front corner, and it was driven away. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

school-bus-passat-crash-oak-ridge-turnpike-georgia-avenue-oct-19-2016

No students were injured in a school bus crash on Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 19, 2016, when the driver of a car ran a red light and collided with the bus at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike and Georgia Avenue, the City of Oak Ridge said in a press release. The car, a four-door Volkswagen Passat, had what appeared to be significant damage to its driver’s side, and it was towed away. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

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Mike Mahathy

I see drivers running red lights daiky. Maybe it’s time to bring the cameras back.
- johnhuotari
  
  It’s hard for me to see how that might happen at this point, given that they’ve been here once before and removed. But I also don’t know what could happen with a mostly new council after the November 8 election, when there will be at least four City Council members who haven’t considered red light/speed enforcement cameras before.
  
  I haven’t heard this issue discussed at all by the candidates, at City Council meetings, or in the candidate forums, although if I recall correctly, it has come up among some of the door-to-door campaigning.
  
  I think there continues to be strong opposition, although I’ve also heard from people who think the cameras helped reduce speeding, red-light running, and crashes. I always thought that, if the cameras remained, the city should try to negotiate a different revenue split with Redflex. It was my understanding that Redflex was open to that negotiation.
  - Mike Mahathy
    
    I do not want them back. It was tongue in cheek. We do have problems with speeding and running red lights though.
    - Sam Hopwood
      
      Lyin’ Joe Lee wants them back. Remember the scathing e-mail that he wrote to city department heads, the city manager and council members after council voted them out? But then, since you support him, you may have forgotten that…. 🙂
      - Mike Mahathy
        
        I know of no better man in Oak Ridge than Joseph Lee. While Joe and I do not agree on everything he has always treated me with respect. His passion for the betterment of Oak Ridge is unparalleled in my opinion. I couldn’t be happier to support Joe Lee.
      - Matt Bailey
        
        My goodness, look who’s back, ole Sam. I want ’em back, put them around the schools for safety, negotiate a better split, put the safety of kids first. Turn over the late payers to collection. Joe Lee – if I was in Chicago, I’d vote for him twice.
  - Philip W Nipper
    
    I believe council made a mistake when they voted not to renew the red light camera contract. I feel their judgement was clouded putting revenue issues and Redflex issues above safety issues of our citizens and our children. At a minimum, the safety measures should have remained in place at all school zones. I hope that the new council will re-visit the traffic camera issue and find a way to vote for improved public safety by re-instituting these measures. That’s what good leaders do. Find ways to make things work.
Kay M Allison

Bring back the cameras, if they don’t want to pay the fine, stop playing “chicken” with the lights.
Mark Caldwell

If I’m correct, two of the council members that voted against renewing the traffic enforcement camera contract are running in this election. Those two would be Ann Garcia-Garland and Chuck Hope. Why would we elect people who want Oak Ridge’s streets to remain dangerous? Why would we elect candidates who want to intentionally decrease city revenue?
Tracy Stout-Powers

We don’t need the cameras, we need more police. To say Garcia and Hope aredon’t want the red light cameras