Published: May 07, 2008 11:02 am         

Car traveling wrong way on Interstate 68 strikes bus

KINGWOOD - A Preston County woman drove the wrong way on westbound Interstate 68 Sunday and struck head-on a charter bus carrying 55 high school students from Ohio.

The accident occurred about 20 miles east of Morgantown. The bus was carrying band students from Shelby (Ohio) High School, about 75 miles north of Columbus. The incident caused westbound I-68 to be closed for more than three hours while officials worked to open an alternate route.

West Virginia State Trooper Isaac Harmon said Samantha Clark, 20, was traveling eastbound on I-68 when she crossed the median and entered westbound traffic. Harmon said "one of the causes" of Clark's actions "could have been medically related."

One student was taken to Ruby Memorial Hospital for "precautionary measures, just to be safe," Harmon said.

"There was another juvenile experiencing asthmatic problems. Other than that everybody was safe," Harmon said.

According to a preliminary report, Clark's yellow 2002 Dodge Neon entered westbound I-68. The bus driver saw the car and "had pulled as far over as he could without hitting the guard rail," Harmon said.

"The Neon hit the guard rail, bounced off it, traveled 200 feet and struck the charter bus head-on," Harmon said.

Clark, who was initially treated by passersby with medical training, was flown to Ruby Memorial and remained there as of Tuesday morning, Harmon said. The extent of her injuries was unknown.

Police found no evidence of alcohol in Clark's vehicle and she was wearing a seat belt.