SUV crashes into Albion Elementary, 5 students suffer minor injuries

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – A driver suffering an apparent medical emergency crashed into the Ronald L. Sodoma Elementary School at about 3 p.m. today. Five students in a fourth grade classroom suffered minor injuries, including a student with a leg injury who was taken by ambulance to Strong Memorial Hospital..

All students in teacher Lee Sheehan’s class were checked by school nursing staff as a precaution.

Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni says the driver wasn’t injured in the accident. Nenni didn’t release the driver’s name, but the police chief said the adult male wasn’t using alcohol or drugs prior to the incident.

The driver also hit another car near the speed bumps on the driveway by the high school.

The vehicle hit a fourth grade classroom at the back of the elementary school near the community entrance.

Structural engineers were on the way to determine the extent of damage and how many classrooms may need to be relocated.

The vehicle hit a wall and sent debris flying in Sheehan’s classroom. Some of the bricks hit students, causing minor injuries.

Nenni said an investigation is continuing, including what caused the driver to be so erratic.