No students injured in Tuesday morning bus incident

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

GROVELAND — North Putnam students were not hurt when a school bus was rear-ended Tuesday morning.

Bainbridge Police Department

Bainbridge Police Officer Jes Seipel reported that at approximately 7:30 a.m., the bus driven by Joseph Conniff, 71, Fillmore, was stopped in the westbound lane of U.S. 36 near the BP station in Groveland.

Stephen Tsareff, 64, Indianapolis, was also westbound in a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt.

Tsareff told Seipel that he looked up, saw the yellow flashing lights on the bus and attempted to stop. However, the car slid under the rear end of the bus.

Adams Towing was called to the scene to retrieve the car from under the bus, after which it was towed from the scene.

The bus, which suffered minimal damage, was then driven on to the transportation center in Bainbridge.

In the meantime, the students had been offloaded onto another bus at the scene. They were all later taken to Hendricks Regional Health in Danville for evaluation.

“As a precautionary measure, all students were transported to a local hospital to be evaluated,” the corporation announced on Facebook, adding that school personnel were working with hospital staff to check vital signs of all students.

A later Facebook statement gave the all clear: “All students have been assessed and have either been released to family members or will be returning to school. If you would like to talk with or see your child, you may do so at the school.”

Neither driver was injured in the accident. Seipel said no charges or citations will be issued.

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  • *

    "Seipel said no charges or citations will be issued." Why not? Following too closely isn't an offense? It seems to be the preferred reason for pulling people over on the interstate.

    Why were children taken to Hendricks? If this was a non-serious accident and school personnel were working with hospital staff to check vital signs - why even go to the hospital? First responders could've done this on scene. A quick evaluation to determine if follow up was needed. If not, get them to school and notify parents. Let the parents decide if they want a more thorough exam. (And let it be charged to the guy who hit the bus.)

    I see a lot of incidental costs incurred. Who gets to pay these? The taxpayers?

    -- Posted by dreadpirateroberts on Tue, Mar 19, 2019, at 2:10 PM
  • Why no charges?? Makes no sense, he rear ended the school bus.

    -- Posted by Nit on Tue, Mar 19, 2019, at 2:58 PM
  • dreadpirateroberts I couldn't have said it better myself!!!

    -- Posted by putnamcountyproud on Tue, Mar 19, 2019, at 4:22 PM
  • If the students hadn't been taken to the hospital there would have been a lot of complaints there. This is a dammed if you do and dammed if you don't situation! I think the right decision was made.

    -- Posted by interested party on Tue, Mar 19, 2019, at 6:06 PM
  • Insurance pays for all of those expenses. That’s why we have to pay insurance: for these reasons. Everyone makes mistakes. No one was hurt and let’s be grateful for that instead of bashing people for something that we don’t know both sides of the story on.

    -- Posted by oliviaschuh on Tue, Mar 19, 2019, at 7:42 PM
  • When did Bainbridge annex Groveland? Resource officer investigating the employee of school he works for? Smells funny...

    -- Posted by concernedcitizen3 on Wed, Mar 20, 2019, at 7:14 AM
  • Proud to be a Cougar Parent today. The communication to parents was EXCELLENT, the decisions made were thorough and obviously the well-being of the students was of top priority. I am grateful that I don't have to make these decisions, because someone is always picking it apart and publicly criticizing the decisions. I am thankful for the people we have in place within our school system that make the difficult decisions and always with my student and all of the other students as their #1 priority.

    -- Posted by very.interesting on Wed, Mar 20, 2019, at 8:39 AM
  • *

    Olivia - Whose insurance is paying? If its the moron who ran into the bus, great. If it is the school - that is taxpayer money.

    What "both sides"? Old man didnt stop when the bus did. Its pretty simple.

    And we can be both - grateful no one was hurt, while also calling out the moron who ran into a stopped bus.

    FWIW, can we please stop calling this an accident? This was carelessness and inattentiveness, not an accident. A tire blowing out causing you to run off the road is an accident. Not stopping in time when a great big yellow bus is stopped with its stop arm out is NOT an accident.

    Jmandeville - "I am grateful that I don't have to make these decisions..."

    I am also grateful you don't have to make these decisions b/c apparently parenting, taking responsibility (making tough decisions), and asking/taking questions (not criticizing) is tough and some people just cant do it and need to give that authority to others.

    -- Posted by dreadpirateroberts on Wed, Mar 20, 2019, at 9:30 AM
  • Ha ha dreadpirate….

    I'm glad I don't have to make decisions that involve hundreds and hundreds of children each day because I understand the intense responsibility that comes with being a parent without the added pressure of holding the responsibility of an entire school district in my hands.

    I'm sorry you find it necessary to pick apart every single little thing that other people do and can't find something positive and encouraging to focus on.

    I'm going to now resume my day that doesn't involve trolling comments and being negative. You carry on though, you have that covered for all of us.

    -- Posted by very.interesting on Wed, Mar 20, 2019, at 10:33 AM
  • *

    No one appreciates the trash haulers, the ditch diggers, or the people that analyze things and refuse to simply look at life's pleasures without question... until one realizes how important those jobs are, which is usually after the people doing those jobs are gone.

    As I said, I am glad you don't want to make those decisions. I appreciate that you don't feel like you could make those decisions and defer to someone else. You can give up your parental authority if you wish. I would like to keep mine. It seems that no child was in need of "emergency care" and therefore there was no immediate need for the school to make this decision. This was, even if well-intended, a usurpation of parental authority.

    As a parent I don't think the decision to take all those kids to the hospital was the wise choice, and as a taxpayer, I just want to know who is footing the bill for 20-some emergency room visits to HCH.

    -- Posted by dreadpirateroberts on Wed, Mar 20, 2019, at 12:50 PM
  • The driver told the police officer "that he looked up, saw the yellow flashing lights on the bus and attempted to stop." See that often when driving, people looking down.

    -- Posted by Reader88 on Wed, Mar 20, 2019, at 12:59 PM
  • The school’s insurance policy pays for it. Premiums are already paid. Lighten up. North Putnam’s admin handled it with an abundantof caution. If they hadn’t, they would get more criticism for not taking it seriously. School administrators have a difficult job and they did it beautifully.

    -- Posted by Moretothestory on Wed, Mar 20, 2019, at 5:14 PM
  • *

    Moretothestory - I will type slowly for you...

    The school doesn't have money except that money which is taken from taxpayers.

    Regardless of whether premiums are paid, it will be a claim (x the # of children). When claims are paid, premiums will likely up - which will cost the school (taxpayers) more money.

    Why is the school paying (as a claim on insurance) instead of rightfully going after the guy that ran into the bus? Now we must merely hope that the school's insurance company will go after moron's insurance for reimbursement. (FYI - this will still cost the school's insurance company money. And guess who is going to pay for the added cost...one way or another, the taxpayer.)

    You are free to waste as much money of yours that you wish. If you agree with the school's decision so much, take it upon yourself to pay some/all of these claims yourself. But don't pick my pocket needlessly and then tell me to lighten up.

    The school administrators made a bad decision, in my opinion. A simple assessment of the situation would've seen the uselessness of sending a bunch of kids to the emergency room.

    -- Posted by dreadpirateroberts on Thu, Mar 21, 2019, at 9:23 AM
  • dreadpirateroberts, I have a masters's in education and you have a history of griping on every story in the Banner. So yes, you need to lighten up instead of insulting me. I suggest you go out and live your life instead of being a constant armchair quarterback. God bless.

    -- Posted by Moretothestory on Thu, Mar 21, 2019, at 7:30 PM
  • There is the new heath care facility in Bainbridge. Wondering if the students could have been checked out there?

    -- Posted by kbmom on Thu, Mar 21, 2019, at 11:42 PM
  • *

    Moretothestory - What does your masters in education have to do with anything? Besides, having seen the product of many colleges/universities over my years, I wouldn't crow too loudly. It may serve you well in your profession and even in your particular social circle, but educational snobbery is not a particularly endearing trait in the wider world.

    I cannot help it that you cannot understand basic concepts such as economics and fiscal policy and need it explained. Its not an insult, its an attempt to facilitate understanding on your part.

    My "griping" is mostly asking lots of questions. Why? B/c I like to know and understand. I am disappointed that more people don't ask questions.

    In this particular case, I question why many children were sent to the hospital (and thereby incurring lots of unnecessary costs) when there was no discernible reason to do so as I have explained previously.

    And you can keep your sanctimonious "God bless". I prefer my well-wishes to be sincere.

    -- Posted by dreadpirateroberts on Fri, Mar 22, 2019, at 9:27 AM
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