Bradford-Online – Bradford PA's Original Website

PSP Says Lost Bus Wheel Incident was Mechanical Failure, Not Criminal Act A mechanical failure, and not a criminal act, appears to the be the reason a set of rear wheels fell off a Johnsonburg school bus Thursday as it was taking students on a field trip to Pittsburgh.In a news release this morning state police say that, from the beginning, they treated the incident as a criminal investigation and had the bus analyzed by their motor carrier safety assistance program, and by forensic service unit troopers.Public Information Officer Trooper Bruce Morris says, “At this point in the investigation the cause of the wheel loss does not appear to be related to a criminal act and may be the result of a mechanical failure.”A review of the remaining fleet of buses by the bus contractor showed no other problems or damages. The investigation is continuing.About 25 elementary school students were on board the bus when the set of wheels fell off, but no one was hurt.After the bus lost the wheels, the driver lost control, but did manage to pull the bus over. Traffic in the area of Route 28 was backed up while crews worked to remove the bus from the road.The students were transferred to another bus and continued on their way to the Carnegie Science Center.Morris noted that other media outlets indicated that there have been several incidents of vandalism in the Johnsonburg Area School District bus fleet, but Ridgway-based state police have received no recent reports of criminal mischief from the bus contractor

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School Bus Wheel Loss Not Result Of Criminal Act