Revelstoke Secondary School students received a jarring awakening from their morning commute on May 3.
Just before 8:30 a.m., a late model Ford pickup truck slammed into the side of a bus full of RSS students on their way to school.
The incident happened at the two-way-stop intersection of Vernon Avenue and Eighth Street East.
The southbound bus was travelling on Vernon Avenue and had the right of way.
RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Kim Hall told the Times Review that the driver of the westbound pickup came to a stop at the sign. She then proceeded through the intersection. Hall said the driver didn’t see the bus and T-boned the bus on the driver’s side.
Photos from the scene show it was a clear, overcast morning. It wasn’t raining and the pavement was dry. Sgt. Hall said RCMP notes from the scene said there were no parked vehicles obstructing lines of sight.
“There were no injuries sustained in either vehicle,” Hall said.
The driver of the pickup was charged under the Motor Vehicle Act with failing to yield after a stop. Just like it sounds, that means the driver came to a stop, but then failed to yield after proceeding forward through the intersection.
Hall said there were no signs of any other misconduct on the part of the driver, such as drinking and driving. “Absolutely no signs of anything else,” Hall said.
The school bus driver was not charged with any offences.
Revelstoke School District superintendent Anne Cooper said the district is thankful everyone was OK. “We’re really grateful there were no injuries,” she said. Since the accident occurred a couple of blocks from the school students were able to walk from there.
Cooper said the district has a spare school bus, so bus service will not be interrupted while the damaged bus is repaired.
