Delaware State Police
News Release

Box Truck Collides with School Bus in Seaford

Released - Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Seaford- At approximately 8:02 a.m. on February 27^th, a Box Truck owned by Frederick Industries of Jessup, Maryland collided with a Sussex Tech High School Bus.

The 1999 International School Bus (operated by Louis O. Bowden, 72, of Seaford and owned by Dutton Bus Service) was stopped in the cross-over at Sussex Highway and Old Furnace Road. The bus, which was carrying 20 high school students, was waiting to cross over the northbound lanes of Sussex Highway to head eastbound on Old Furnace Road. The 1998 Nissan Box Truck (operated by David C. Peters, 32, of Cambridge, Maryland) was also in the cross-over facing west attempting to turn southbound on Sussex Highway.

Mr. Peters failed to negotiate the size of the box truck and made an abrupt turn striking the left rear of the school bus with left side of his truck.

Traffic in the busy intersection was stalled as Emergency Medical Services were arriving to tend to the high school students that were on board heading to school. The students, whose ages ranged from 14 – 17, were checked by EMS personnel as a precautionary measure.

Five students were transported to Nanticoke Hospital in Seaford with non – life threatening injuries. Alcohol was not a factor and seatbelts were used by all operators.

Mr. Peters was cited at the scene for Unsafe Movement at a Stop Sign After Stop.