Cherry Creek bus with 13 students onboard involved in hit-and-run crash; 1 in custody
DENVER (KDVR) — The Colorado State Patrol is investigating a crash after a driver in a black SUV hit a Cherry Creek Schools bus on Wednesday afternoon then left the scene.
The driver of the black SUV was later arrested, and no injuries were reported by anyone on the bus, according to CSP.
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Cherry Creek Schools told FOX31's Kasia Kerridge that it was an elementary bus with 13 students onboard. All were checked out by emergency responders out of an abundance of caution, but there were no injuries.
The crash was reported at about 2:31 p.m. to law enforcement, CSP reported, and 13 students were onboard the bus. The crash occurred at Boston Court and Louisiana Avenue.
"We had district security personnel who were on scene and assisted with parents who arrived to pick up their children," said Chief Communications Officer Abbe Smith in an email. "The remaining students were transported back to the school to be picked up by their parents. A message was sent out by phone, text, and email to parents letting them know of the situation."
"I've never been in a bus crash or any type of crash. It was very scary for me... Everybody was just screaming, freaking out like I didn't know what had happened," Ashlynn told Kerridge.
"It's kind of scary because it's already bad conditions out here already to be driving in to begin with, and then you throw a bus in the mix," said Ashlynn's mom Crystal Hayes when she picked up her daughter from the scene. "I'm glad that my daughter and all the kids and the bus driver are safe."
Another crash was reported at 2:10 p.m. and could be related to the school bus crash, according to the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office and Aurora Police Department.
The Aurora Police Department said that a Chevy Envoy was traveling east on Mississippi Avenue, approaching the intersection with Dayton Street. The agency said that the vehicle hit a Nissan Xterra, and then fled from the crash in the Envoy. A driver in a pickup truck saw the attempt to flee, followed the Envoy, and struck it to immobilize it, Aurora police reported.
Officers arrested the driver of the Envoy, a 23-year-old man, and transported him to a local hospital.
Aurora police said charges are pending against the driver of the Envoy, and the occupant of the Xterra was taken to a local hospital as well. Officers were not told of the extent of that person's injuries.
"We suspect the at-fault driver also was involved in a crash with a school bus in Arapahoe County prior to our incident," the Aurora Police Department told FOX31. The Colorado State Patrol is leading that investigation.
