Racine school bus, city bus crash, Flight for Life called
RACINE, Wis. - A crash involving a Racine city bus and a school bus prompted a response from Flight for Life on Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 6. Two people were seriously hurt.
It happened near Goold Street and Shoop Street around 3:25 p.m. and involved a district school bus for children who have special needs and a RYDE Racine city bus.
Police said the driver, a 61-year-old man, and a driver assistant, a 26-year-old woman, were on the school bus. A district spokeswoman confirmed there were no students on board, saying in a statement: "On behalf of the District, our hearts are with those who were injured, and we are waiting for an update on their condition."
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There were six passengers and the driver, a 41-year-old woman, on the city bus. Police said there nine people involved, and six of them were hurt – including two who had to be extricated. Police said it was the drivers of the two buses suffered the worst injuries, and Flight for Life was called.
Tekika High-McGee said her niece, Keisha Robbins-Lezine, was driving the city bus and suffered a serious leg injury.
"I get a phone call saying, 'It was your niece, your niece,'" said High-McGee. "I look at the picture, and I see my niece. I'm just praying everyone will come through, get through this, and everything will be OK."
The cause of the crash is under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call Racine police 262-635-7756. To submit an anonymous tip, call Crime Stoppers at 262-636-9330 or use the P3 app.
RYDE Racine statement:
"A RYDE Racine Route 5 bus heading southbound to the Transit Center was involved in a collision. First and foremost, we are thinking about our driver and others hurt in the collision as they have been transported to the hospital to address their injuries. We are working with the Racine Police Department as they are investigating the incident.
"There will be coordination between RYDE Racine and the Racine Police Department to communicate further with the public and our riders as more information is available."
Neighbors blame tree
Neighbors said drivers blow the stop sign at the intersection because of a tree they say obstructs their view.
"It’s a little traumatizing," said Bryan Zimmerman, neighbor. "It’s the first week of school. It’s ridiculous."
A neighbor's Ring doorbell camera video shows the school bus was going south on Shoop, and the driver went straight through the intersection despite the stop sign, colliding with the city bus that was going east on Goold.
"I’ve seen people blow that stop sign multiple times because that tree’s in the way because they’re not familiar with the area," said Zimmerman.
Neighbors said they hope the crash serves as a wake-up call for other drivers.
"It could've been worse," said Zimmerman. "It could've been much worse."
Editor's note: Racine police provided new information about the people involved in the crash Thursday, Sept. 7. The story has been updated to reflect that information, while the video at the top reflects the information available when the story originally aired Wednesday night, Sept. 6.