What was supposed to be a routine field trip turned into a nightmare on an Oregon highway.
A 68-year-old man is dead and two others are injured after a school bus carrying 30 students collided head-on with an SUV Monday morning in Polk County, authorities confirmed.
The crash happened just before 10 a.m. on Feb. 23 along Highway 22 near the intersection of Highway 51, according to the Oregon State Police. Investigators say a school bus affiliated with Salem-Keizer Public Schools was traveling west when the driver, 33-year-old Chandra Jean Milkovich-Howard, attempted to make a left turn onto Highway 51.
That turn allegedly placed the bus directly into the path of an eastbound Honda Pilot.
The impact was devastating.
The SUV’s driver, identified as Luke Richard Brittan of Independence, Oregon, was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials said the bus was carrying 30 students and two adults at the time of the collision.
The bus driver and one student suffered minor injuries and were taken to a local hospital. Authorities later issued the driver a citation for making an unsafe left turn. The investigation remains ongoing and will be forwarded to the district attorney’s office once complete.
The highway was shut down for about four hours as emergency crews worked the scene.
The students were from North Salem High School and were headed to Western Oregon University for a field trip when tragedy struck, according to local reports. A second bus traveling to the same destination was not involved in the crash.
Aaron Harada, a spokesperson for the district, called it “a terribly tragic event,” adding, “Our hearts and thoughts go out to the family of the driver who lost their life.” He said the district is cooperating fully with investigators and providing support to students and staff who were on board.
Following the crash, students from both buses were transported back to their high school. Counseling and emotional support services have been made available.
The Salem Fire Department, which responded to the scene, emphasized the complexity of incidents involving school transportation, noting they require “coordinated communication, careful triage, and strong interagency teamwork.”
For the family of the man who lost his life — and for dozens of students who witnessed the aftermath — a simple school day will never be the same.
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