A school bus carrying high school basketball players and staff out of the Medford area was involved in a crash on Highway 97 south of La Pine, Saturday afternoon.
The accident occurred at approximately 5:30 p.m. when a vehicle traveling northbound on Highway 97 collided with the bus and another car, both traveling southbound.
The car going north was attempting to pass, according to a press release by the Phoenix-Talent School District.
The bus driver was able to maintain control of the bus and safely steer it onto the shoulder of the road. The condition of the drivers and passengers of the other vehicles involved is unknown at this time.
We have reached out to Oregon State Police for additional information.
The six Phoenix High players, two coaches and driver were on the bus following the team’s season-ending loss at Crook County.
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“The bus driver did a great job keeping it from being much worse,” Phoenix High athletics director Dave Ehrhardt said. “Our coaches stabilized the scene and helped calm down the kids,
and the families of the other kids circled back from an hour away to help get everyone home.”
The team arrived back in Phoenix by about 10 p.m. and nobody who was on the bus at the time of the crash checked into a hospital.
Some of our folks were reporting soreness but nothing seems too serious,” Ehrhardt said.
“This was a traumatic event, and the district will provide support for students and staff as they process the accident and the emotions that go along with it,” Phoenix-Talent School District Superintendent Brent Barry said. “We want to thank the families who helped get our kids and staff back safely, our First Student partners, the Oregon State Police, and our Athletic Director
Dave Ehrhardt for all his help.”
