New report from OSHP shows 16 people were injured during Monday’s bus crash in Stark County

STARK COUNTY, Ohio (WOIO) - New report on the school bus crash in Stark County shows the number of students hurt is much larger than what troopers first reported.

The crash happened on Monday September 11, just after 2:30 p.m. Originally 19 News was told that only five students and the driver were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, but according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) there were 16 total people hurt in this crash. Six were taken to the hospital by ambulance, but the other 10 were were transported by parents.

19 News, along with a number of parents have reached out to the Marlington School District Superintendent, Daniel Swisher’s office multiple times and each time we are told he is out of the office.

Two days in a row, buses from his district were involved in crashes, including the crash on Monday.

According to OSHP, Debra Weisel was driving the bus. She was traveling down Beeson Road, when she attempted to make a left turn on Columbus Road. This is when she lost control of the bus, hit five different street signs, and crashed into a ditch. There were 19 students on board.

19 News has received statements from parents whose children were on the bus when it crashed. They want to remain anonymous but one says, “My daughter was involved in the Marlington bus accident on 9/11, as well as the drivers previous bus accident in 2018. To say she is scared to step foot on another bus would be an understatement. Marlington needs to be held liable for not only the physical scars these children have, but also the emotional scars.”

My daughter was involved in the Marlington bus accident on 9/11, as well as the drivers previous bus accident in 2018. To say she is scared to step foot on another bus would be an understatement. Marlington needs to be held liable for not only the physical scars these children have, but also the emotional scars that will take much longer to heal from. We as parents need answers as to why this driver has continued to be employed after multiple traffic citations and putting our children’s lives in danger not only once but twice now.

Marlington has reported only “minor injuries” in 5 students. The crash report shows 14 students were treated for injuries at local hospitals/stat cares. There were 20 students on the bus which means there were only 6 NOT injured luckily. It is truly a miracle that no one was killed. Shame on Marlington administration for downplaying the severity of this accident and trying to brush it under the rug. Us parents will not sit quietly aside while Marlington tries to make this disappear.

Marlington has stated that only one camera was working at the time of the accident. Also, by some fluke the GPS that monitors her speed also happened to not be working. How is all of this equipment malfunctioning on only the 5th day of school? We have heard from multiple officers who have watched the bus video that said it is the “most terrifying and heartbreaking video they’ve seen in their careers.” We have requested to see the video multiple times, to which Marlington has immediately rejected and said we will never be able to see it. Why do we not have access to this as their legal guardians? They are without a doubt covering something up that they don’t want to be public knowledge. Was the bus driver on her phone? Was she turned around screaming at children (which she’s been known to do numerous times)? Was her blood tested for drugs/alcohol after the crash? WHAT ARE YOU HIDING MARLINGTON?!

A second parent says, ““I was informed of the crash by another parent who had found out from a child’s Snapchat. It was over an hour from the time of the crash to the time a school employee called me.” They continue with, “After finding out the bus drivers lengthy and questionable driving record we have heard nothing but silence from the superintendents office. This lack of communication mixed with the lack of cooperation of being forthcoming with information has us demanding answers.”

My child is a student at Marlington Middle School. Unfortunately, she was 1 of 5 students taken by ambulance to a local hospital following the school bus crash on 9/11/23. I was informed of the crash by another parent who had found out from a child’s Snapchat. It was over an hour from the time of the crash to the time a school employee called me. Our family understands that accidents do happen but this was not one of them. The information that has come to light following the accident has all of us parents with more questions than answers. The cause of the accident was speeding. How fast was the driver going? After speaking with a patrolman with OSHP we do not know. The monitoring device on the bus that would track the speed happened to not be working that day, per Marlington School. The camera angles that would help determine speed were also not working on the bus that day, per Marlington school. The school did release a short video from inside the school bus that was described as “terrifying” and “horrific”. The patrolman explained he watched in the video the bus running over signs before crashing onto its side. He stated he saw windows shattering in kids faces, kids being thrown around the bus, kids being crushed from the impact of the crash and from falling students, followed by screams and cries. Marlington will not allow the police to release video to the parents. Parents and OSHP have both been told from the superintendent that the only way the video will be released is if the media gets a hold of it first. After finding out the bus drivers lengthy and questionable driving record we have heard nothing but silence from the superintendents office. This lack of communication mixed with the lack of cooperation of being forthcoming with information has us demanding answers.

We have also tried to obtain video from inside the bus during the crash, but have been told it is not being released at this time because it is being used as evidence in court.

Copyright 2023 WOIO. All rights reserved.