Icy roads trigger minor school bus crash at Palmer High

What you need to know:

• A Mat-Su school bus was involved in a minor accident at Palmer High School on Thursday morning when icy pavement caused a pickup truck to slide into it.
• The bus was empty except for the driver. The pickup driver was taken to a hospital after falling and hitting his head.
• Icy roads also created hazardous driving conditions elsewhere in Mat-Su, prompting a temporary closure of the Glenn Highway north of Moose Creek.
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PALMER — A Mat-Su bus was involved in a minor accident at Palmer High School during student drop-off Thursday when icy pavement caused a pickup truck to slide into the bus.

The Durham School Services bus was empty except for the driver, school safety officials said. The pickup truck’s driver was taken to a hospital by ambulance after slipping, falling and hitting his head on the pavement after exiting his truck following the accident.

The Palmer High School parking lot had not been sanded before the accident. A sanding truck arrived at about 7:40 a.m. First period begins at 7:45 a.m.

A Durham safety official evaluated the bus for damage or other issues, and it was returned to service.

No other school bus-related accidents were reported to the district Thursday, Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District officials said in an interview.

Drivers in parts of Mat-Su encountered treacherous road conditions during Monday’s commute as rain fell and temperatures hovered around freezing.

The Glenn Highway between Moose Creek and Sutton was temporarily closed after two semitrailer trucks jackknifed. The highway reopened after the accident scene was cleared and state trucks spread traction sand.

School district officials said they chose to open schools on time in most of Mat-Su because early morning patrols indicated that roads were safe. A two-hour delay was announced early Thursday for schools in the Upper Valley, including those in Talkeetna, Trapper Creek and Willow. Morning preschool classes were canceled because of icy roads.

-- Contact Amy Bushatz at contact@matsusentinel.com