Corey O'Leary
is your Kern River Valley Neighborhood News Reporter. He covers Lake Isabella, Kernville, and Wofford Heights among others!
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — On Thursday, August 24, just after 6:30 pm, a minivan collided head-on with a Kern High School District bus carrying players from the Golden Valley High School Bulldogs football team to their scheduled game against the East Bakersfield High School Blades. The crash happened on Mount Vernon Avenue just south of East Belle Terrace in Bakersfield.
On Friday, students and parents shared their thoughts about the experience with 23ABC.
Kyle Streeter is a junior on the Golden Valley football team, and he was on the bus when the crash happened.
"We were just having fun, talking, and all of a sudden we all look up and there was a car heading straight towards us," said Streeter. "It hit and everything was like - there was glass going all around, people were screaming. It was bad."
Streeter says he tensed up during the collision and at the time, he didn't believe it was actually happening.
"I saw a windshield was full off. There was no windshield," said Streeter. "My first thought was to call my mom."
Streeter's mother, Stacy Gago, picks up the story.
"My son called me and it was one of the most terrifying moments. I could hear the alarm going off in the background, I could hear the boys' voices," said Gago. "It was a very scary and emotional time for us. I needed to be there. I needed to get to my son."
Gago goes on to describe the scene when she arrived.
"Chaos. There was debris everywhere. I saw the vehicle, I saw the bus, and they [first responders] were stopping us parents. They weren't letting us go through at first, and they eventually came and they let one parent from each student go to the bus," said Gago.
The driver of the minivan died. He was identified as 48-year-old Gilverto Moreno Castro of Lamont. Additionally, the bus driver and 2 students were transported to a hospital for mild to moderate injuries.
Streeter says that although he wasn't hurt, the crash took an emotional toll on those involved.
"Emotionally it was bad," said Streeter. "Players were saying that they don't want to go on the bus again, not wanting to go driving home."
Annita Davis, the parent of another student who was on the bus during the crash, says she is still stunned by it all.
"The other driver's car, it wasn't even a car anymore on the other side of the road when I passed it," said Davis. "It looked like a ball of foil."
The California Highway Patrol says it has not determined why the minivan, a Toyota Sienna, went into the oncoming traffic lane, but Davis says her son saw what happened.
"He said that the car was in the middle of the road, that it was trying to pass another car and it was going super fast," said Davis. "Like, it just seemed like it was going really fast at him, and it hit the bus and the bus driver swerved a little. He was on the driver's side by the emergency exit, and he said he saw a car flying past him."
The car Davis' son saw was the minivan which was hit.
One thing everyone agreed about was that KHSD bus driver Sherrie Oritz went above and beyond to keep the students safe and calm.
"The bus driver got in control of it and pulled off the side. He [Annita Davis' son] said that she did an amazing job," said Davis.
Streeter also praised Ortiz's composure and professionalism.
"She made us roll, made a seating chart. She was telling her players to keep calm, and she was telling the injured one to calm down and that he's going to be okay," said Streeter.
"Knowing that she was hurt herself and that she did this and managed to take care of our boys, the parents of the team want to thank her," added Gago.
"This bus driver is our angel, honestly," said Davis. "She is our guardian angel for our Bulldog boys."
KHSD STATEMENT ON THE CRASH:
In the wake of Thursday's unfortunate incident involving one of our school buses en route to East Bakersfield High School with Golden Valley varsity football plays on board, the Kern High School District extends its heartfelt condolences to the individuals and families affected.During this challenging time, our number one priority revolves around the well-being of our students and staff. Golden Valley High School and the District are committed to supporting those students and the school community. We have an outstanding team of professionals providing additional support services to any student or staff member who may require it. We will navigate this difficult time with unity and compassion, where everyone feels supported.
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