Hempfield woman driving school bus van dies after tractor-trailer strikes 2 vehicles; Greensburg Salem student driver injured
Share this post:
Rene Davis was remembered Friday for the dedication and care she demonstrated as a school bus driver serving the Greensburg Salem School District.
Davis, 60, of Hempfield was killed Friday morning when her school bus van was struck by a tractor-trailer that ran through a red light on Route 22 in Salem, according to state police. There were no passengers on the bus, owned by DMJ Transportation, when the collision occurred.
An SUV driven by a 17-year-old Greensburg Salem student was also struck by the tractor-trailer, according to state Trooper Steve Limani and school district officials. The SUV driver was taken to a hospital in stable condition.
“Rene has been a valued member of the DMJ team since August 2023,” said a spokesperson for DMJ Transportation, the company that serves Greensburg Salem. “Her kindness and commitment left a positive mark on everyone who had the privilege of knowing her. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with them as they navigate this unimaginable loss.”
The van and SUV drivers were on opposite sides of Route 819 waiting at stop lights where the road meets Route 22. When their traffic lights turned green, both drove into the intersection, where the tractor-trailer slammed into them, Limani said. There was debris from the crash scattered on the westbound lanes.
“It’s horrible that we had a loss of life, I can only imagine how horrific it is for the school district,” he said. “We’re really upset and sad that we have to investigate such a horrific incident.”
The bright sun at the time of the crash just after 7 a.m. may have played a role, Limani said. Route 22 reopened around 11:30 a.m.
“We are deeply saddened by this and our condolences go out to the driver’s family, friends and colleagues,” said Kayla Tamer, associate to the Greensburg Salem superintendent and coordinator of community outreach.
School counselors and staff were available Friday to help any students or staff members, Superintendent Ken Bissell said in a letter sent to parents.
“As a school community, we understand the impact of such a loss and encourage those who need support to reach out,” he said in the letter.
The highway was closed for a few hours while state police reconstructed the crash. Troopers also examined the tractor-trailer, which was hauling lumber, to see if it was working properly.
“Right now we don’t have any reason to think there was something going on with the tractor-trailer that would cause it to have any malfunctions,” he said.
The speed limit in the area is 45 mph, Limani said. PennDOT traffic volume maps indicate 20,000 vehicles travel that section of Route 22 daily. There have been 16 crashes there intersection since 2015, two of which were fatal, according to PennDOT data.
“We do enforce traffic specifically in this region, our troopers from Kiski Valley come out here quite a bit to run radar and do traffic enforcement,” he said.