06/03/2010 // West Palm Beach , Florida, USA // Sandra Quinlan // Sandra Quinlan

Zanesville, OH—A 6-year-old boy became the first child to die in an Ohio school bus accident on Wednesday, June 20, 2010. The tragic bus crash occurred on Ohio State Route 60 near Zanesville, according to information provided by the LancasterEagleGazette.com.

Carol Oler, 47 was driving Tri-Valley Local School Bus 26 southbound on Ohio 60 when she lost control of the bus near milepost 26. Upon doing so, the school bus veered off the road and struck a power line.

The school bus only came to a rest after overturning in a roadside ditch, reported Lt. Steve Rine of the Zanesville Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP). Troopers were dispatched to the scene after receiving a call concerning the wreck at 8:18 a.m.

There were seven students aboard the bus at the time. The oldest student, 12-year-old Shae Burkhart, apparently jumped into action after the crash. “He got up and opened the emergency exit, then told the kids to stay away from the (electrical) wires,” Anita Nessline, Burkhart’s aunt stated.

Emergency medical services (EMS) personnel arrived at the scene to transport those injured to area hospitals. Unfortunately, 6-year-old Kasey King suffered traumatic injuries, which ostensibly proved fatal at the scene. King lived in Frazeysburg and was a student at Nashville Elementary School.

The bus driver was airlifted to Columbus Hospital via medical helicopter. She suffered serious injuries but was treated and released by 4 p.m. Wednesday.

Six students aboard the school bus were transported to area hospitals to be treated for their injuries, which were deemed to be minor to moderate. The children were identified as Shae Burkhart, 12; Josie Boyd, 7; Drew Burkhart, 6; Jasie Wright, 8; Caden Campbell, 9; and Cody Campbell, 11.

With the exclusion of Drew Burkhart, all were treated and released by Wednesday afternoon. Burkhart was transferred to Nationwide Children’s Hospital where he was listed in good condition Thursday afternoon.

Adverse traffic conditions did not seem to play a role in the school bus accident, Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) spokesperson Kate Stickle noted.

According to Sgt. Clark Felix of the Zanesville Post, “Right now we’re conducting a reconstruction of the accident and seeing what information we can find.”

Legal News Reporter: Sandra Quinlan- Legal News for Ohio Bus Accident Lawyers.

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