Two students and an adult passenger in a Calverton School bus were injured Wednesday morning when the school bus collided with a tow truck in Charles County. According to the Maryland State Police, the school bus driven by Derek Ingram, 57, of Lusby was southbound on U.S. 301 at Billingsley Road in White Plains at shortly before 10 a.m. The bus allegedly collided with a tow truck driven by Dwain Blankenship, 46, of Hughesville that was slowing to stop in the left turn lane with a solid red arrow. According to a press release from the state police, Ingram applied the brakes of the school bus but was unable to stop to avoid the collision.
Jennifer Mcaneny, 44, of Chesapeake Beach and two of the students received non-life threatening injuries. They were transported to University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center in La Plata by ambulance. The school bus was taking the students on a field trip. The remaining 18 students in the bus were escorted onto a separate school bus and returned to the school as a precaution, according to Amy Brady, a school s[pokesperson. The field trip wil;l be held tomorrow imnstead.
The 18 other students, the driver of the tow truck and another passenger in the Huntingtown school’s bus, Philip Weiner, 46, of Sunderland were not injured.
According to the Maryland State Police, “Damage sustained from the collision covered the front bumper/corner of the school bus and the left rear corner/bed area of the tow truck. Troopers from the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division responded to conduct a post-crash investigation of both commercial vehicles. Results of that investigation have not been finalized at this time.
The investigation is still actively being investigated and any witnesses are urged to contact Trooper J. Harrod (#6162) of the Maryland State Police La Plata Barrack. He can be reached at 301-392-1200.
