November 14, 2012
Lieutenant Gregg Hastings
According to Lieutenant Carl Rhodes, on November 14, 2012 at approximately 3:45 p.m., a Jefferson County School District bus with 43 occupants including students grade K - 5 was stopped with red flashing lights activated northbound on Highway 361 near milepost 3 to let students off. Two other vehicles were stopped behind the bus when a northbound 2010 Prius four-door driven by JANET B. FARRELL, age 62, from Madras, failed to stop. The Prius swerved toward the highway shoulder, continued past the stopped vehicles and crashed into the right rear of the bus.
FARRELL was transported by ambulance to Mountain View Hospital in Madras for treatment of injuries. An enforcement decision is pending completion of the investigation and interviews.
Jefferson County School District sent another bus to the scene to transport students to their destinations.
OSP was assisted at the scene by Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, Jefferson County Fire District #1, Jefferson County School District, and ODOT. The highway was blocked for over an hour.