School bus hit from behind

No children were hurt when the school bus taking them home from High Springs Community School was hit Monday afternoon.

Around 2:30 p.m., 96-year-old Howard T. Doucette of High Springs was driving west on NW 182^nd Avenue when he braked and swerved to avoid a truck stopping in front of him.

Doucette was unable to avoid the vehicle, and his Chevrolet Impala struck the back of the Toyota Tacoma truck stopped in front of him.  The truck, driven by 57-year-old Mary Kitchel of Lake Wales, Fla., was propelled forward into the stopped school bus with eight school children and the driver inside.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the school bus had stopped to let children off the bus and the bus stop signs were extended and red lights were flashing.

Both Doucette and Kitchel were wearing seatbelts, and suffered minor injuries.  The bus driver and the children reported no injuries.

The Florida Highway Patrol estimated the crash caused $4,000 worth of damage to Doucette’s car and $9,500 to the truck he hit, as well as $1,000 in damage to the bus.

Doucette was cited for careless driving, and that he “failed to drive in a careful and prudent manner.”