CANNON TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Two children were hurt this morning when their preschool's bus collided with another car and rolled at a Cannon Township intersection.
The crash happened at 5 Mile Road and Pettis Avenue, according to the Kent County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO), with the bus traveling with the right of way.
"I heard a big bang. I knew it was an accident," said John Smallfield, who lives on the corner of the intersection.
The bus belongs to Big Steps Little Feet, a Christian early learning and nature preschool in Ada, and carried twelve children and two adults, including the bus driver. After the crash, two children and one adult were taken to the hospital for further treatment. The other driver, who drove a sedan, was also hurt, but not "badly," according to Smallfield.
"It's just a sad thing to see when little kids are involved in an accident," Smallfield said.
When he heard the crash, Smallfield ran to the scene, pulling children from the upside-down bus, which had rolled to the side of the road.
"Some of them were crying," Smallfield said. "Fortunately, none of them were [seriously] hurt. Thank God."
From his perspective, the 55-mile-per-hour speed limits on both 5 Mile and Pettis should be lowered, as he's seen a previous crash at the intersection and was also rear-ended in a separate incident down the road.
"We've had two bad accidents here because people just speed," Smallfield said.
"We're absolutely fortunate that injuries were very minor," said Kent County Sgt. Andrew Kozal. "Obviously, all the safety precautions that are built into the bus and the car worked."
