School bus crashes into Forward Township house

Police said the bus is from out of the area and no children were on board at the time of the accident.

A school bus crashed into a house in Forward Township Monday afternoon.

Emergency crews were called shortly after 3:30 p.m. to the 3200 block of Rainbow Run Road (Route 136).

Police chief Ken Honick said he found an out-of-the-area school bus from Rittenhouse Bus Lines. There were no children on board, and the driver was inside the home when Honick arrived.

“He pushed a parked car at the residential home into the living room, and then the bus continued into the house with the car, ripping off the front porch,” Honick said.

Authorities shut down Rainbow Run Road in both directions, according to Honick, from near the nearby bridge to Webster Hollow Road.

The Forward Township building inspector also was at the scene of the crash along with other local officials. The building was deemed unsafe, condemned and unable to be occupied.

“We do have people that have been displaced,” Honick said. “It actually shifted the house off of the foundation, so there is not a scenario where they can really repair what’s going on.”

The driver of the bus has not been identified. Honick said the bus driver is fine, but he could not disclose whether any family members were hurt in the accident.

The driver was distracted and traveling at an unsafe speed when he lost control of the bus, Honick added.

Rittenhouse Bus Lines, based out of 31 East End Road in Smock, is a full-service student transportation provider, according to its website. Its services include home-toschool and field trip transportation.

The bus line could not be reached for comment as of press time Monday night.