Monticello school bus driver cited in tip-over crash

The driver of a Monticello Community School District school bus that tipped over in the ditch on a gravel road received two citations in the incident and is on paid administrative leave. 

An Iowa State Patrol crash report obtained by the Monticello Express states Ed Goldsmith was driving the bus around 3:40 p.m. Jan. 12 when it slid off the road into the ditch. The embankment along 190th Street caused the bus to tip onto its side. 

Twenty-six people were on the bus when the incident occurred. One young student riding on the bus sustained a broken collarbone, and other minor injuries were reported as well, according to Monticello Superintendent Brian Jaeger. 

The crash report from the incident states the bus was traveling “too fast for conditions” when it slid off the road. Goldsmith, 73, was cited for failure to maintain control and failure to maintain or use safety belts, per the crash report. 

Jaeger said Monday that he hadn’t yet seen the crash report, but said once it’s delivered to the school, he will analyze it alongside Transportation Director Mike Wink. 

“We have a list of things we will talk about with the driver,” Jaeger said. “We have high standards (for bus drivers).”

Jaeger said the Iowa Department of Transportation may issue a citation or perhaps require Goldsmith to undergo a driving test before he can return behind the wheel of a school bus. 

“We will talk about these things with the driver,” Jaeger said. “Public perception is important, so we will need to make a decision. The driver also may say he doesn’t want to some back, but we can go in any direction at that point.” 

Jaeger said a lot of what the district will do will be based on the crash report but “we didn’t want to be premature and have this meeting (with Goldsmith) before we got the report.”

Jaeger said he expressed concern with the families of the students who were injured. 

“I expressed my concern to all the families and made sure they got their kids checked out,” Jaeger said. “People trust us with their kids during the day and expect them to return to them in the same condition, and we did not do that on that day. We want to make sure the families are back whole.”

The district’s insurance will pay the medical bills for the passengers, Jaeger said. 

“That’s the right way to do it. If someone is injured in a school-related activity, we pay the bills,” he said.

Jaeger said the bus -- a 2012 Bluebird bus -- is a total loss, and the crash report estimates it received upward of $10,000 in damage. Jaeger said the district has enough buses to fulfill transportation needs, and a rotation of new buses will ensure it isn’t missed for long. 

“We have a continuous cycle [of replacing buses], and we will price new buses,” Jaeger said. “We will look for (prices) in the next couple weeks.”