Driver Cited In Churchville School Bus Crash: Police

CHURCHVILLE, MD — Police said a school bus driver has been cited after she crashed the bus into a tractor-trailer Monday morning on Route 136 in Churchville. Five students and the school bus driver went to the hospital as a result of the collision, which occurred before 8:40 a.m. near Route 22, according to Maryland State Police.

The bus was transporting Churchville Elementary School students, according to Maryland State Police. It was approximately 0.4 mile from school at the time of the collision.

The driver said she had been looking in the mirror to address a student and when she refocused on the road ahead and saw the tractor-trailer, it was too late to stop, officials reported.

The crash occurred on Route 136 north just before the intersection with Route 22, according to police. The tractor-trailer had been stopped on northbound Route 136 due to the traffic signal, Maryland State Police spokesman Ron Snyder told Patch. The driver of the tractor-trailer was uninjured, he said.

Three ambulances were called, according to Rich Gardiner, spokesman for the Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS Association, who reported all injuries were minor.

Police said five students were taken to Upper Chesapeake Medical Center for treatment, while the bus driver was treated at Harford Memorial Hospital.

The driver — identified as Courtney Renee Vaughn, 41, of Aberdeen — was charged with failure to control speed to avoid a collision, according to police.

Last month, a school bus from Emmorton Elementary School stopped short and resulted in minor injuries; the April 13 incident occurred in the afternoon as the bus was leaving the school on Tollgate Road, and six children fell out of their seats.

This is breaking news and will be updated.

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