Eastern Local bus crashes, no injuries reported

LONG BOTTOM, Ohio – On January 25, 2023 the Ohio State Highway Patrol reported an Eastern Local School bus driven by Joseph David Barnhart lost control on a patch of ice on State Route 248 near mile marker 6 and come to a stop in the ditch.

According to the report, there were 17 children on the bus, with no injuries reported. Additionally, there was minor damage to the left side of the bus in the way of scratches, mirror damage and minor damage to the hood of the bus. Troopers stated that the driver of the bus was not drug tested by OSP as he showed no signs of impairment.

Eastern Local Superintendent Nick Dettwiller released a statement on the school’s website stating that, “They were incredibly blessed that all of our students were ok and back in school.”

Dettwiller also stated the school would like to thank many from the community that responded to the scene. The Meigs County EMS, along with Olive Township, and Bashan Fire Departments, Meigs County Sheriff’s Office, and Ohio State Highway Patrol all responded. Detwiller expressed gratitude for their level of response in making sure students were safe.

According to Dettwiller, there were several good Samaritans from the community who simply stopped to offer help and make sure everything was okay, and two other school districts who reached out to check in and offer help if needed.

“Our school staff did an excellent job of contacting and working with parents to make the best of a tough situation. Our families were very helpful and patient working with our team at school,” stated Dettwiller.

He went to say, “We are incredibly thankful to all these groups, but the group that we couldn’t be more proud of is our students. Our younger students were cool and collected and followed directions so well. The older students on the bus worked with the driver and took leadership roles and helped the younger students through the whole process. As a team they did an excellent job. It makes me proud to know we have young men and women in our school and community like the ones who helped out in this situation.”