Staff Writer
MAPLETON, Maine – Emergency personnel put hours of training to use Jan. 7 when a bus with 17 occupants was involved in a rollover on the Pelkey Road on its way to school.
The routine ride to school was disrupted for students riding SAD 1’s Bus 28 when the vehicle skidded off the road as it traveled north, landing on its side in the ditch. The youth were on their way to Mapleton Elementary School, Presque Isle Middle School and the Presque Isle High School.
“I was notified of a bus rollover on the Pelkey Road at approximately 7:15 a.m. When I arrived, everyone had gotten out of the bus and were waiting on the side of the road for help,” said Trooper Shawn Whalen, lead investigator of the accident.
Karen Lajoie, 37, of Caribou, was the bus driver. According to Whalen, Lajoie was attempting to round a sharp corner when she lost control on the slush-covered road. The road had been sanded but due to recent warmer temperatures, ice and snow had turned to slush, making that downhill winding section of the Pelkey Road particularly treacherous.
“She basically was overdriving the road conditions. She got caught up in the slush and was unable to maintain control. The bus skidded, hitting a utility pole before going off the right side of the road, landing on its side in the ditch,” said Whalen.
Emergency personnel responded quickly to the scene, with crews from Crown Ambulance; Mapleton, Castle Hill and Chapman Fire Department and Maine State Police at the accident site within a matter of minutes after receiving notification.
“When the fire department arrived, we found the bus 30 feet down over a steep bank on its side. One telephone pole was clipped off and phone and cable lines were down in the road,” said Fire Chief Rich Wark, of the MCHCFD.
In addition to the bus driver, there were 16 students onboard, ranging from 5 to 17 years of age. Following the crash, the older students assisted in getting everyone out of the bus safely, including Lajoie, who was reported to be the most seriously injured. Older students, including Isaac Ashby and Rachel Churchill, helped keep the younger students away from the downed wires and tried to keep them away from any broken glass.
“Lajoie sustained cuts to her face and hands due to broken glass. The students complained mostly of back and neck pain,” said Whalen. “Fortunately, the downed lines weren’t power lines. Those had been moved to a new pole. It was the old pole – one slated for removal – that the bus struck. When it snapped off, it didn’t affect electricity, cable or phone service in the area.”
A Verizon crew was on the scene and had begun cutting the pole up for removal by 8 a.m.
As the bus rolled, students from the left side of the bus tumbled to the right side. The bus driver and seven students were transported by Crown to The Aroostook Medical Center. The nine remaining students were checked by Crown staff at the scene and released to their parents.
An official at TAMC said victims of the accident began arriving for treatment of bruises and abrasions at the emergency room around 8 a.m. By 9:15 a.m., eight patients had been presented for treatment and five had been released. The remaining patients were treated and released later in the day.
Traffic was re-routed along the Grendell Road for the better part of the day as emergency personnel investigated the accident, worked to remove the school bus from its resting place in the snow and removed the downed wires.
“The road didn’t open until late Monday,” said Whalen, explaining Verizon and Time Warner Cable lines that were across the road needed to be restrung, with crews on scene for part of the day doing the repair work.
The 1994 International bus sustained an estimated $15,000 in damage, said Whalen, with Verizon reporting $5,000 in damage and Time Warner Cable $500 in damage.
Wark gave credit to those involved for how smoothly the response went on Monday.
“All agencies worked well together to effectively manage a chaotic scene,” said Wark.
In addition to various personnel assisting victims at the scene, SAD 1 carried out its Crisis Plan to assist those affected by the accident, with teams set up at the affected schools. Neighbors and volunteers provided kind words, food and any assistance they could following the incident.
The MCHCFD responded with 15 personnel and two trucks. The fire department remained on the scene for 2 1/2 hours maintaining traffic control and cleaning up fluids. Others assisting at the scene included the Maine Forest Service, the Mapleton Highway Department and Bernier and Son Wrecker Service, who towed the bus from the ditch.
Unsafe speed for road conditions is considered the primary cause of the crash. No charges are pending.
