Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Students pile up in after school wreck

Four vehicles driven by Gurdon High School students were involved in an automobile accident on U.S. 67 on Friday, Oct. 19, shortly after the students left school for the day.

According to an accident report on file at the Gurdon Police Department, the four car pile-up occurred after one vehicle stopped abruptly for a school bus, resulting in a chain reaction of rear-end collisions.

All of the vehicles were traveling north on U.S. 67 when the accident occurred. The report indicates that the vehicle immediately behind the school bus was driven by a GHS student and stopped abruptly when the bus stopped at a residence in the 7000 block of U.S. 67. This vehicle was not directly involved in the accident.

The next vehicle in the line of traffic, a 2000 Volkswagen Beetle driven by a 16-year-old student was able to stop without hitting the car that was behind the bus.

The next vehicle, a 1998 Mazda 626 driven by Heather Lane, 18, of 704 N. Eighth St., was able to stop before hitting the Volkswagen, but was pushed into it after being rear-ended by a 2001 Ford Mustang driven by a 16-year-old student.

The Mustang was then rear-ended by a 2001 Jeep Wrangler being driven by a 16-year-old student, according to the report.

All were following too close to each other, which caused the accident, Officer Jay Smithpeters noted in his report.

No citations were issued, and all of the vehicles were able to be driven from the scene.

The only injury was a minor bloody nose to a passenger in the Jeep.