KULPMONT - A borough man was hospitalized after he fell asleep and crashed his Jeep Cherokee head-on into a King Coal Tours bus Tuesday morning on Chestnut Street (Route 61) in the borough.
Six of the 19 passengers on the motorcoach suffered minor bumps and bruises in the crash, which occurred just after 9:30 a.m. But all of the passengers boarded another bus and continued on their day trip to the Mohegan Sun casino near Wilkes-Barre.
State police at Stonington said Andrew Kowaleski, 23, was traveling west, approaching the intersection of Fifth Street near the east end of the borough, when his vehicle crossed into the eastbound lane and struck the 1992 MCI-102c3 bus, driven by Roger Derk, 69, of Shamokin. The bus was scheduled to stop at King Coal headquarters just a few miles from the crash in Strong to pick up a second group of passengers.
Kowaleski told police he had briefly fallen asleep just prior to the crash.
Kowaleski's Jeep was pushed approximately 60 feet backwards and came to rest just a few feet from the China King restaurant, off the eastbound lane of the highway.
King Coal Tours President Jonathan Else spoke with Derk at the scene and said it could have been a lot worse.
"Roger saw him coming over into the lane and slowed the bus down to almost a stop to try to avoid the crash, but there was just no way out and they hit," Else said. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family right now for a speedy recovery."
Emergency personnel took about 15 minutes to remove Kowaleski from the Jeep and wheeled him on a gurney to a waiting ambulance. He was taken to Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, for treatment of a leg injury and was listed in fair condition Tuesday afternoon. Police said he would be cited for careless driving.
Left an 'impression'
A few of the passengers were standing near the crash site, one person holding an ice pack on her elbow, another holding one to her lips. The passengers seemed a bit shaken, but ready to continue their trip.
"I was coming out of the bathroom when it happened," one female passenger said before she quickly boarded a replacement bus. "I went from the back all the way to the front; it seemed to be that hard of a hit."
The Jeep suffered heavy front end damage and had to be towed from the scene. The bus suffered some front end damage, including a slight crumpling of the stairs.
One firefighter commented that the rubber front bumper of the bus had the imprint of the Jeep license plate in it.
"I couldn't believe it," Else said about it.
'Good spirits'
There is a 35 mph speed limit in that area, but police did not indicate how fast they believe Kowaleski was traveling.
The highway reopened at approximately 10:30 a.m., about one hour after the crash.
The close proximity of King Coal headquarters allowed fast delivery of a second bus and continuation of the trip.
"We went onto the bus and talked with the passengers, and they all seemed in good spirits and ready to continue on," Else said. "Equipment is fixable, but lives lost are not, and we are just happy that everyone is OK."