STANDISH, Maine (WABI) – The National Transportation Safety Board, the independent federal agency that investigates civil transportation accidents in the U.S., will be conducting an investigation into a crash that happened this week in Standish. That’s according to Maine Senate Republican Office.
WABI media partners WMTW report that a team of seven investigators arrived Thursday to start working with local law enforcement. The NTSB described it as a ‘safety investigation.’ The federal team includes specialists in human performance, motor carrier operations and highway factors.
Just before 8 a.m. Tuesday, Edna Libby student Simon Gonzalez, 5, was struck and killed by an MSAD#6 school bus. At the time of the crash, there was only one student on board. That student was Gonzalez’s half-brother.
The child’s death came just weeks after another fatal accident involving a school bus in the state. In Rockland on Nov. 21, 12-year-old Brayden Callahan was struck and killed by an RSU 13 school bus while crossing the street after being dropped off. The preliminary investigation shows that the driver, Jeffrey Colburn, had not deployed the bus’s crossing arm, and was leaning too far to the right to keep his eyes on the road. Colburn is no longer employed by the school district.
When asked about investigating the deadly school bus crash in Rockland in November, the NTSB said it is aware of the earlier incident and often looks at similar incidents as part of an investigation. However, they could not confirm at this time if Rockland would be included in their investigation.
The agency said a preliminary report should be available within 30 days.
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