2 School Buses Involved in Del. Crash

Three people, including a 5-year-old girl, go to the hospital with very minor injuries, according to Delaware State Police

A crash in Delaware that started with a school bus rear-ending an SUV, set off two more crashes that ended with another SUV slamming into a house.

In all, two school buses and two SUVs were involved in the accidents early Monday just south of Middletown, Del. Three people, including a 5-year-old Christiana School District student, were hospitalized with minor injuries, according to Delaware State Police.

The incidents began around 7:25 a.m. at the intersection of Summit Bridge Road (State Route 71) and Noxontown Road. Police say Lisa Robinson, 42, of Middletown was stopped southbound on Route 71 in her 2005 Chrysler Pacifica waiting to turn left when she was rear-ended by a Appoquinimink School District bus driven by Jerome Altemus, 60, of Clayton, police said in a press release.

No passengers were aboard that bus. Police say after impact, the Robinson's SUV was pushed into the northbound lane and the front of the Pacifica collided with a school bus from the Christina School District.

Police say the Christiana bus being driven by P. Denise W-Cannon of New Castle went off the road and into a ditch. Cannon, 60, a 61-year-old aide and a 5-year-old girl -- the only passengers on the bus at the time of the crash -- all suffered minor injuries the required hospitalization, police said.

A second SUV riding behind the Christiana then swerved to avoid the crash. Latoyia Rothwell, 40, of Smyrna drove off the road, through a fence and into the chimney of a house on the 100 block of Noxontown Road.

The driver was not injured. No one inside the home was hurt.

Police say it appears everyone involved was properly restrained in their vehicles at the time of the wrecks.

Altemus was cited for inattentive driving, police said.

The road was closed until around 10 a.m.


 Fan, follow and download: Get the latest from NBC10.com anytime, anywhere. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, our mobile site and NBC Philadelphia. Sign up for our breaking news newsletter. And, get breaking news delivered right to your mobile phone -- just text PHIBREAKING to 639710 to sign up. (Message and data rates may apply.)

Contact Us