Five students injured

Five students were injured Friday morning in a collision involving a school bus.

A Jay School Corporation bus traveling north on Indiana 1 in Redkey was struck in the rear by a Waste Management trash truck, resulting in five injured students including one who was transported by ambulance to IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie.

Information provided by Jay Schools superintendent Jeremy Gulley indicates the bus, driven by Greg Rittenhouse of Portland, was struck about 7:50 a.m. Friday. 

He reported that one student, a seventh grader, was transported to IU Health Ball for treatment of injuries and was in stable condition. He said the injuries involved cuts and an arm injury.

Jay School Corporation assistant superintendent Trent Paxson traveled to the hospital and was in contact with the student and their parents.

The other injured students were treated at the scene and released to their parents. 

“I’m just relieved that it wasn’t more serious,” said Gulley. “It always concerns me that folks as they drive are attentive to school buses.”

Students — those on the bus were seventh through 12th graders — who were not injured were either released to their parents or transported to school on another bus.

Redkey Elementary School principal Rex Pinkerton, Jay County Junior-Senior High School assistant principal James Myers, transportation director Mitch Corwin, school resource officer Cody Jessee and Jay School Board member Jason Phillips were among those who responded to the scene. 

“I do believe that school administrators and transportation employees performed very well to take care of the kids,” said Gulley.

The collision caused significant damage to the driver’s side rear corner of the bus and the passenger side front corner of the Waste Management truck.

This story will be updated.