Thirty teenagers were traveling on a school bus from the YMCA summer camp program in Treasure Valley, which was involved in an accident near the North Fork Payette River on Highway 55 on Friday.
The crash occurred around 3 p.m. on Friday at milepost 84 north of Banks. The Idaho State Police reported that eleven people were injured, seven of whom were considered to be in critical condition, while four had non-critical injuries. As a precaution, all the other teenagers on the bus were transported to local hospitals. The ages of the teenagers range from 13 to 18 years old.
According to healthcare providers, hospitals have activated the "External Triage Code" and have sent patients to St. Luke's Boise, Meridian, and Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center. St. Luke's cannot confirm how many patients they have received.
As of 6:21 p.m., a spokesperson from Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center said that they had received seven patients, none of whom were in critical condition, but there is no information available about the severity of the injuries. Ada County paramedics also responded with three ambulances and two supervisor units, as reported by a spokesperson to KTVB.
The bus was one of the four buses that were part of the summer program. The other three buses were not involved in the accident. The police are in the process of notifying the families. David Duro, the president of YMCA Treasure Valley, said that the bus was returning from Horsethief Reservoir when the crash occurred.
Duro also mentioned that YMCA is working to reunite all the children with their parents. He stated that the accident is "one of those things that you never want to see happen".
The Idaho Transportation Department closed Highway 55 from milepost 79 to milepost 97, between Banks and Smiths Ferry, after the accident. The highway has been reopened and all lanes are clear.
The Idaho State Police, Gem County Fire and EMS, Eagle Fire Department, Acute Rescue and Transport, Boise County Sheriff's Office, and Ada County Sheriff's Office collaborated in responding to the accident on Friday.
The cause of the accident is unknown. The Idaho State Police are investigating.
Originally posted at Liga Legal® Abogados
Summer Camp in Idaho: School bus crashes, leaving several young people injured
Topics: Accident Reports
Aug 05th, 2023