(Photo provided by Brandon Wattie)
At 7:50 a.m. Blackfalds RCMP received a report of a three-vehicle collision involving an Aspire Special Needs Resource Centre school bus on Highway 2A at Township Road 400 between Lacombe and Blackfalds.
RCMP say the collision was at an intersection and that the bus caught on fire and was destroyed. There were no children on the bus.
Police, Fire, and EMS attended the scene.
RCMP say one vehicle had pulled out from a crossing and was struck in the side by an oncoming vehicle. Snow and ice prevented the vehicle from stopping in time.
After the initial collision, one of the vehicles went into the opposing driving lane where it was struck by the third vehicle, which was the school bus.
Police are continuing their investigation and may consider laying charges under the Traffic Safety Act.
Aspire's executive director JoAnne Hayden said the only people on the bus were the driver and another staff member. Both were taken to hospital and treated for minor injuries.
Hayden said the bus was on its way to the first pick-up of the day when the accident occurred. She notes Aspire has two buses that pick up pre-school children as far out as Lacombe and Innisfail.
With the one bus out of commission, there will be no transportation provided this week in the Lacombe/Blackfalds area.
Aspire is a charitable organization run by a team of professionals who work with families, and the local community, to provide services to children with special needs. The school program serves about 60 students.
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