Graham Kislingbury/Gazette-Times An officer looks at the damage to a school bus Wednesday morning on Highway 20 at Kings Valley Highway (223). No students were on the Kings Valley School bus. The driver was taken to Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center with neck and back pain.

Both drivers taken to the hospital for back pain

By Graham Kislingbury


Gazette-Times Online Editor

PHILOMATH — An empty Philomath school bus and an empty log truck collided Wednesday morning at the intersection of Highway 20 and Kings Valley Highway 223 about five miles west of Philomath.

The crash occurred just before 8:30 a.m., said Deputy Randy Hiner of the Benton County Sheriff’s Office. The school bus, driven by Thomas Moffit, 58, of Tangent, was headed back to Philomath after dropping off students at Kings Valley Charter School, about nine miles from the site of the crash.

“The school bus apparently pulled onto the highway,” Hiner said.

Log truck driver Trinity Cross, 29, of Monmouth, tried to avoid the bus, but he couldn’t, Hiner said. The impact spun the bus around.

Moffit and Cross each complained of neck and back pain but were alert and able to walk at the scene, Hiner said. Both men were taken to Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis for examination. After Hiner interviewed the drivers, he issued Moffit a citation for failure to yield.

The collision caused temporary delays on Highway 20 until the vehicles were cleared about 9:30 a.m. The school bus, which is leased by the charter school, is owned by the First Student Bus Co. of Philomath. It was heavily damaged in the middle of the driver’s side.

The log truck’s cab was damaged. It is owned by Timber Dirt & Rock Co. of Fairview.

Crews from Philomath Fire and Rescue, Benton County Sheriff’s deputies and an Oregon Department of Transportation official all responded to the collision.

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Nancy Raskauskas wrote on May 8, 2008 12:00 AM: " This comment was lost when story updates were posted: VH wrote on May 7, 2008 5:42 PM: " This brings up a problem with school buses. WHY on earth do they not have seatbelts??!! It's just fortunate that no children were on the bus! " " Angela wrote on May 9, 2008 12:03 AM: " I saw this bus after the accident, and could tell that it had to be the bus' fault. Thank goodness there were no children on the bus. But, had there been, this would have been a tragic accident. This bus (with a 58 year old driver???) pulled out in front of a semi going down a hill on a highway with a speed of 55mph. The children would have been flown to the other side and spun along with the bus. I can't even imagin!! Seatbelts? I almost think that would have been even worse for the children with many internal/hip injuries. . However, to drive a bus with children...hearing, seeing, and keeping very calm are all major parts of this job. I feel that we need to make sure our bus drivers are better compensated, require more experience/previous large equip.driving, and better trained, This is excatly why when my son was younger, I always volunteered to go on school field trips when a bus was involved. Just so I was there if anything happened. This is becoming a too recent problem with buses in recent years. PS. The Kings Valley exit off of Hwy 20 should have flashing yellow warning signs/lights since population and traffic has grown. " VH wrote on May 9, 2008 1:03 PM: " Do some research. These busses are top heavy. Prone to rolling. Seatbelts are necessary! "

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