Five injured in school bus and SUV crash on Pierce Road near Lakeville

LAKEVILLE, Ind.--- Monday morning five people including students from Laville Elementary and Laville Jr. and Sr. High School were sent to the hospital after a bus crash in southern St. Joseph County.

The bus from Union-North United School Corporation was on its normal bus route picking up kids when it was rear-ended by an SUV.

The school bus was driven by 31-year-old Laura Watts who stopped to pick up the kids on Pierce Road, that’s when a tan 2005 Ford Expedition hit the bus from behind.

The SUV was driven by 28-year-old Lee Motz. ABC57 looked into Motz’s driving records, but did not find any prior traffic violations in the state of Indiana.

Four students were taken to Plymouth hospital with complaints of pain. There were two 9-year- olds, one 5-year-old and a 15-year-old who were all later released from the hospital with minor injuries.

Tina Utley, who lives up the street from where the crash happened said people need to slow down and start paying more attention, especially when kids are on a school bus.

“You know there are children out there,” said Utley. Yours and mines and just watch out for the buses.”

Motz, the driver of the SUV, was sent to Memorial Hospital in South Bend and later released with minor injuries.

Alcohol and drugs are not suspected as factors in the crash and what caused it is still under investigation.