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SANDY — A person was seriously injured after rear-ending a school bus before crashing into three other vehicles Tuesday morning, police said.
Emergency crews responded to a crash between the vehicles at 8835 S. 700 East shortly before 8 a.m., Sandy Police Sgt. Jason Nielsen said.
Nielsen said police received reports of a black Nissan Versa driving "erratically" and speeding while traveling southbound on 700 East. He said the school bus was preparing to turn left onto 8800 South when the Nissan struck the back of the bus.
The Nissan then kept going another 100 yards and hit three other cars, Nielsen added.
The driver of the Nissan, whose name and age were not immediately released, was transported to a hospital in serious condition. An 11-year-old passenger inside the vehicle was not injured.
No other injuries were reported. Three children inside the bus at the time of the crash were checked by medical personnel before they were transferred to another bus and taken to school, Canyons School District spokesman Jeff Haney said.
Haney said the bus was used for special education students and was headed to Silver Mesa Elementary in Sandy.
"We are incredibly grateful that on this day — the very first wet day of the (school) year — when we did have an accident, that everyone walked away and unharmed," he said.
Haney also credited the bus driver for keeping the students calm after the crash.
The crash created major traffic delays for the morning commute, closing four lanes of the heavily traveled 700 East at 8900 South for several hours. Those lanes reopened shortly before noon.
The crash remains under investigation, but Nielson said it is a reminder, especially in rainy conditions, to drive carefully.
"When you have rain like we do (have) today and we have the speeds where they were today, he said, "it's just a recipe for disaster."
Contributing: Caitlin Burchill
