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Teens hit at bus stop avoid serious injury
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Two teens were struck by a vehicle Thursday morning while waiting for their school bus in an accident being blamed on blinding light from the sun.The girls, ages 13 and 14, were taken to River Park Hospital by the Warren County Emergency Ambulance Service where they were treated and released for non-critical injuries. The driver of the mini-van that struck them, Kristopher Walls, 27, has been cited for violation of the due care law and driving without insurance.According to McMinnville police officer Paul Springer, the accident happened around 7:30 a.m. on Vinewood Road just off Oriole Drive.“There is a large group of students who wait for the bus there, basically all the school children from Green Acres and Asbury Apartments,” said Springer, noting there is a narrow shoulder at that location making it less than ideal for a major bus stop.Springer said his preliminary investigation revealed Walls was traveling east in his 1992 Dodge Caravan.“He was heading directly into the glare of the sun,” Springer said, the driver maintaining he didn’t see the girls standing next to the road. “It appears he side-swiped them, probably with his side-view mirror.”The girls said the accident happened so quickly they did not know what part of the car hit them.Given the accident, police are urging motorists to slow down and use an extra bit of caution given the angle of the sun since clocks have moved forward for daylight saving time.“If there is glare, which there is this time of year for people driving east, motorists should slow down and take precautions since there are students waiting for their buses in the morning,” Springer said.