Man ‘serious’ after car-school bus crash

Ohio State Highway Patrol information

CONVOY — An Antwerp man injured in a car-school bus crash Friday morning has been upgraded from critical to serious condition, according to reports from Parkview Regional Medical Center on Saturday.

Zechariah Price, 18, was injured when he apparently failed to yield the right of way to a Thomas Edison Center school bus at the intersection of U.S. 30 and Ohio 49. The accident occurred at 7:53 a.m. Friday.

According to investigating troopers, a 2007 Blue Bird school bus owned by the Van Wert County Board of Developmental Disabilities, and operated by Alice Knueve, 62, of Convoy, was westbound on U.S. 30, and a 1996 Buick driven by Price was headed south on SR 49 when Price allegedly failed to yield to the school bus.

The Buick was struck in the driver’s door and came to rest in the median. The school bus was disabled partially on the westbound lanes of U.S. 30.

Price was wearing his seat belt, but, due to the extent of injuries, was transported from the scene by Samaritan Helicopter to Parkview Regional Medical Center in Fort Wayne, Ind. Knueve was wearing her seatbelt and was not injured in the crash.

There were two passengers on the bus: an aide, Tina M. Gaskill, 50, who was transported from the scene to Van Wert County Hospital with minor injuries, and a student in a wheelchair, Isaac Smith, 24, who was not injured. Smith’s wheelchair was properly secured and he was wearing his seat belt.

No charges have been filed at this time.  Assisting at the scene were the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office and Convoy Volunteer Fire & EMS, Bricker Ambulance Service, 2A’s Towing, Mace Wrecker Service, Van Wert County EMA and personnel from Thomas Edison Schools.