Chester School Bus in Accident on Route 206

A bus of students heading home after a day of classes at the Black River Middle School were delayed by an hour after their bus was involved in an accident at the Streets of Chester intersection on Route 206.

The accident took place around 2:30 p.m. when, according to the driver, the bus struck a silver Lexus making a left into the shopping complex.

“She just turned and cut me off,” said Steven Arancibia. “I hit my brakes and they locked up.”

The bus strafed the side of the Lexus, and also connected with a tractor trailer coming the opposite direction.

“It wasn’t his fault at all,” said Arancibia. “He was an innocent bystander.”

The response from the Chester Consolidated School District was immediate. Within a few minutes Black River Middle School Principal Bob Mullen arrived with school Nurse Anne Pape, Dean of Students Brad Currie and transportation coordinator Sophia Beaudin.

As the Chester Borough Police took statements from the drivers, Mullen sat with the children on the bus while Pape looked them over and checked for injuries.

“All the kids are fine,” said Mullen. “And that is all that matters.”

Mullen, Pape and Currie transferred the students from the busy thoroughfare to a new bus waiting in the Starbucks parking lot and sent them on their way home.

Beaudin continued to update the administrators back in the office via cell phone while she waited to give Arancibia a ride back to his car.

For his part, Arancibia said driving the kids back and forth to school was a big responsibility, one he didn’t take lightly.

“You can fix a bus,” Arancibia said.

Police declined to release the name of the woman driving the silver sedan and said the investigation is ongoing.