Crime & Safety
Pittsburgh-Area Deadly School Bus Crash: New Details Released
The crash Tuesday left a 14-year-old student and 31-year-old bus driver dead.
MUDDY CREEK TOWNSHIP, PA — Pennsylvania State Police released new details Thursday morning on Tuesday's deadly school bus crash on I-79 in Butler County that left a 14-year-old student and the bus driver dead.
The driver has been identified as Lindsay Thompkins, 31, of Aliquippa, Beaver County. The student has not been publicly named by police, but a GoFundMe page to raise money to cover funeral expenses identified her as Brylee Walker.
Police said a tractor-trailer driven by Karandeep Singh, who was uninjured in the incident, was traveling north in front of the bus when the bus crashed into it. A news release suggested that the speed of the bus might have been a factor in the accident.
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Thirteen students from Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School in Midland, Beaver County, were on the bus at the time. Their ages ranged from 13 to 17.
Two of the students were flown to Pittsburgh hospitals for treatment. Both were reported in stable condition.
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Two other students were taken to UPMC Children's Hospital in Lawrenceville, where they were treated and released.
The other passengers were examined at the scene and released to their parents.
The investigation is continuing, police said.
Lincoln Park posted a statement on the school's Facebook page saying, "We are all devastated by the loss of one of Lincoln Park's precious students and the driver of the bus...our hearts are with all those affected by this tragedy."
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