Rathdrum school bus hit by car; five children have minor injuries

Five schoolchildren from Betty Kiefer Elementary School received minor injuries Thursday afternoon when an SUV slammed into the back of their school bus near Rathdrum. None of the kids was transported to the hospital.

The bus was going south on Highway 41 around 3:20 p.m. and was waiting to turn left on Lancaster Avenue when it was hit from behind at what appears to be full speed, said Lakeland School District Transportation Director Darrell Rickard.

The bus had 50 students on board. Most were uninjured, but five were examined by medics after receiving bumps and bruises, Rickard said. Some children were picked up by their parents and the others were put on another bus to be taken home.

The front end of the SUV that hit the bus was heavily damaged, and the back bumper of the bus was smashed in, Rickard said.

“Buses are heavy-duty,” he said. “It’s hard to do.”

The woman driving the SUV had minor injuries, according to the Idaho State Police. The bus driver was uninjured.

Rickard said his heart dropped when he heard about the crash. “I’m just very grateful no one was seriously injured,” he said.