No Injuries in Intervale School Bus Accident

An bus with 20 children on board clipped a mailbox and slid into an emabankment Monday morning during the snowy weather, said.

The accident, which occurred in the Rainbow Lakes section of town on Hillside Road and Rainbow Trail at about 8:45 a.m., caused no injuries. But an ambulance arrived and helped "provide shelter'' to children who had stepped off the bus, according to Parsippany Police Sgt. Yvonne Christiano.

After a tow truck arrived, another bus took the children to school.

Superintendent of Schools LeRoy Seitz said the bus was not significantly damaged and after speaking with the bus driver, district staff believed the accident was caused by the narrow roads in that section of town and the weather. 

"It did catch everyone by surprise,'' Seitz said. "We always debrief after a situation like that. ... We take the safety of the children very seriously.''

After the accident, Seitz, Board of Education President Anthony Mancuso and district administrators visited the area where the accident occurred to check conditions. Seitz also drove around that area during Wednesday morning's snow to try and determine whether the roads were safe.

Seitz said the district researches the weather forecast and road conditions before deciding whether to call a two-hour delay or cancel school completely, particularly with some of the steep roads in the township.

The district supervisor of buildings and grounds drives out to check the safety of the roads and staff use an Accuweather checklist that has 119 pieces of criteria for weather-related school closing.

"We put a lot of thought into the decision," Seitz  said. "Is everyone always happy with it? Rarely."