AUGUSTA CO. – A school bus driver and two students were injured Wednesday morning in a two-vehicle crash in Augusta County.
It happened on Lee Jackson Highway near the Victory Baptist Church in Staunton at around 7:30 a.m.
According to Virginia State Police, the driver of the bus, Bruce Pugh, and two students were taken to Augusta Health for non-life threatening injuries.
There were 35 elementary and middle school students on the bus at the time of the crash, according to Augusta Co. School Superintendent Dr. Chuck Bishop. The school bus was heading to Beverley Manor Elementary and Beverley Manor Middle Schools.
State Police say the bus was driving southbound on Route 11 when it pulled off onto the right shoulder to turn around and head north on Route 11. As the bus pulled across the southbound lanes to head north, it pulled out in front of a southbound 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The Jeep Grand Cherokee was unable to avoid the bus and struck it in the side.
Pugh was charged with failure to yield the right of way.
The remaining students were taken to school in a spare bus. They were examined by school nurses. Parents had the option to pick them up from school if they wanted. Bishop said the afternoon commute will not be affected.
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