Wrong-way school bus crashes on Highway 99 in central Fresno near HSR construction zone

An Arkansas woman driving a new school bus crashed head-on into a Bakersfield woman late Thursday night on Highway 99 in central Fresno, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The bus driver was not injured and the second driver suffered only minor injuries in the crash, which happened just before 11 p.m. on northbound 99 south of Ashlan Avenue.

The CHP identified the bus driver as Dianne R. Bell of Little Rock, Arkansas. The CHP said Bell, following another bus, drove the 2019 Thomas school bus south onto northbound 99 from the Golden State Boulevard offramp. Marilyn Gorman, driving a 2008 Ford F-150, was northbound on 99 and collided with Bell. Gorman was treated by paramedics.

The area where the crash took place is near a construction zone near California’s high-speed rail project.

The CHP said that neither alcohol nor drugs appeared to play a part in the crash. Additional information about how the crash occurred was not available from the agency.

Officials at North Carolina-based Thomas were also unavailable to answer questions about the crash.

This story was originally published March 29, 2019 at 11:23 AM.