INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An Indianapolis fire official says an elementary school principal was seen pushing students out of the way of an oncoming bus before the vehicle fatally struck her.
Authorities say Susan Jordan, the principal of Amy Beverland Elementary School, was killed Tuesday when the school bus suddenly lurched forward.
Indianapolis Fire Department Capt. Rita Reith says buses were lined up outside the school when the accident happened. She says one bus went over a curb and struck Jordan and two 10-year-old children. The children were hospitalized with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Reith says the female bus driver told firefighters she saw Jordan push several students out of the way before she was hit. The driver also said she was not sure what caused the bus to accelerate.
Indianapolis police say an initial investigation has found no mechanical problem on a bus that lurched forward and fatally struck an elementary school principal.
Indianapolis Police Sgt. Kendale Adams said Wednesday that the investigation is ongoing into what caused the bus to strike Susan Jordan and injure two 10-year-old students Tuesday afternoon.
Adams says investigators are “going off the premise this was a tragic and unfortunate accident.” He says the driver showed no visible signs of impairment.
Adams says the bus was parked in a line near a sidewalk with other buses about 2:45 p.m. when for “some unknown reason it went over the curb” and struck Jordan. The bus driver told firefighters that she saw Jordan push several students out of the way.
