By Jodi Weigand

Published: Tuesday, December 4, 2012, 9:56 a.m.
Updated: Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Washington Township police say it appears a Vandergrift man caused a multi-vehicle crash Tuesday morning on Route 66 when he drove around two vehicles that had stopped while students boarded a school bus.

Dwayne Miller, 44, was traveling south on Route 66 near Pleasant Valley Drive when he came up behind the vehicles and passed them, according to police.

He crashed his Chevrolet Blazer head-on into the bus, which was stopped in the northbound lane, police said.

Miller was in critical condition on Tuesday at a Pittsburgh hospital.

Seventeen children in grades 7 to 12 were on the bus at the time of the crash, said John Meighan, Kiski Area School District superintendent.

The crash occurred just after students had finished boarding.

Paramedics and school nurses evaluated the students, Meighan said. Four students were taken by ambulance from the high school to be checked out further, he said.

Parents of between five and seven other students chose to take their children to family doctors to make sure they were OK. Meighan had no word on them, but did not anticipate any serious injury.

“It does not appear that any are going to be retained at the hospital,” Meighan said Tuesday. “It seems like most of them did not suffer any real serious injuries.”

Miller, who was trapped in the Blazer, and his female passenger, whom police did not identify, suffered severe injuries. Both were flown to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh.

The bus driver, Alma Gestner, 62, of Apollo, with Moore School Bus Inc., suffered minor injuries, police said. Lawrence Ross, 61, of Freeport also suffered minor injuries when Miller's vehicle careened into his car.

They were taken by ambulance to Forbes Regional Hospital in Monroeville.

Washington Township police anticipate filing charges against Miller.

Jodi Weigand is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 724-226-4702 or jweigand@tribweb.com.

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