Another school bus crash involving dozens of children in Santa Cruz: CHP
Aerial view of school bus on Highway 17 in Santa Cruz. May 19, 2025. Photo: KNTV
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. - A school bus carrying dozens of children crashed Monday morning en route to Santa Cruz, the second school bus accident in the area in recent days, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Bus was headed to science camp
What we know:
The Cupertino Union School District bus had 24 students and two staff members on board and was traveling south on State Route 17 near Vine Hill Road around 9:50 a.m. when it was rear-ended by another vehicle, officials from the district and CHP said.
Investigators said a 67-year-old woman driving a blue Mini Cooper at an unknown speed struck the back of the bus. The Mini Cooper then veered off the roadway and crashed into a tree. The driver sustained major injuries and was taken to Valley Medical Center.
CHP officials said two children on the bus suffered minor injuries but did not require hospitalization. The school district said no students or staff were injured.
The bus was one of three transporting students to a science camp, according to the district.
"All students and staff then continued traveling to their destination," the district said in a statement. "All students and staff have arrived at Science Camp."
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Second school bus crash
Dig deeper:
This incident follows a May 16 accident on Highway 17, where a different school bus became "fully engulfed" in flames.
In that case, 32 children and five adults were safely rescued.
No injuries were reported.
The Source: The California Highway Patrol, Cupertino Unified School District