This is a press release courtesy of the Oregon State Police

One person died and four others were injured Wednesday afternoon in a crash involving a Scappoose School District School bus and a passenger car on Highway 30 about three miles north of Scappoose.  The four injured included the school bus driver and three Warren Elementary School students.

On May 7, 2008 at approximately 2:29 p.m. a report was received of a serious crash on Highway 30 near milepost 24 between Tarbell Road and Pollard Road north of Scappoose.  State, county, and city police and fire agencies responded to the scene.

Preliminary investigation indicates a Scappoose School District school bus driven by Garland L. Spooner, age 45, from Scappoose, was transporting approximately 35 students from Warren Elementary School southbound on Highway 30 in the right hand lane.  According to witnesses, a northbound 2008 Honda Civic crossed the paved center median into the southbound lanes and crashed head-on with the school bus.  The Honda came to rest on the southbound shoulder at a driveway entrance.  The school bus came to rest across both northbound lanes.

Spooner received minor injuries.  Information at this time indicates she and two students were transported from the scene by ground ambulance to Legacy Emanuel Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.  The two students were identified as Olivia Bowers, age 7, and Kaitlin Bond, age 9.  A third student, Ranay Laird, age 9, was transported by family members to an unknown hospital with a minor injury.

Scappoose School District officials advised the remaining students were transported back to Warren Elementary School where their parents were told they could pick their students up.  Questions for the school district should be directed to Mary Crum at (503) 543-6374.

Oregon State Police (OSP) troopers from the St. Helens work site are continuing the investigation with two OSP crash reconstructionists.  The cause of the crash has not been determined.  Highway 30 at the scene has two southbound lanes and two northbound lanes separated by a paved center continuous left turn lane.

Agencies assisting at the scene included Columbia County Sheriff's Office, Scappoose Police Department, Scappoose Fire Department, Columbia River Fire & Rescue, Columbia County Road Department, and ODOT.  A detour was established around the scene and will remain in effect until the highway is re-opened.

Highway 30 re-opened around 7:30 p.m.  Commercial truck traffic caught in the backup was escorted through the scene after the incident was stabilized.