A pickup truck driver was flown by medical helicopter to a hospital Friday morning after apparently rear-ending a school bus in Hempfield.

Township Fire Chief Anthony Kovacic said firefighters from Grapeville, North Hempfield and Jeannette worked together for about 25 minutes to free the driver. Nine students aboard the Hempfield Area School District bus and the driver were not hurt, he said.

The crash was reported at about 7:45 a.m. on Route 130 at the intersection of Spanish Villa Drive, according to a Westmoreland 911 dispatch supervisor.

The hood of the pickup truck was lodged under the back of the bus. Kovacic said the driver was conscious during the extrication. The medical helicopter landed on College Avenue and the road was closed for a few hours near the Toll Route 66 interchange.

“Firefighters did an excellent job,” Kovacic said.

The majority of people involved in crashes involving school buses statewide in 2018 and 2019 had no injuries, according to PennDOT annual reports. There were 309 school bus crashes involving 3,223 people in 2018 and nearly 3,000 people involved in 301 crashes the following year. In both years, about 90% of those involved were not hurt, according to the reports.

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