2023 Clark County, Ohio school bus crash
2023 Clark County school bus crash in Ohio
On August 22, 2023, a Northwestern Local Schools bus crashed in Clark County, Ohio. The bus overturned after a van crossed the centerline and struck it.
The bus was carrying 52 elementary students on the first day of school. The van driver, 36-year-old Hermanio Joseph, was driving east on State Route 41 when he crossed the centerline and hit the bus on the driver's side. The bus rolled into a culvert.
First responders were dispatched around 8:16 a.m. Aiden Clark, an 11-year-old student, was ejected and died at the scene. Of the other students on the bus, 51 remained after the crash: 13 were taken to local hospitals by ambulance, and 10 were picked up by family or friends. The bus driver had minor injuries and was not taken to the hospital. The van driver and a passenger were treated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. Two helicopters were canceled.
Afterward, there was confusion about how to reunite students; the district initially directed reunification to a nearby church but later moved it to a fire station, which caused traffic problems. The district canceled school the next day and the following Monday to allow families to grieve and for memorials to be held.
It was later found that Joseph did not have a valid Ohio driver’s license. He was tried and, on May 1, 2024, convicted of first-degree felony involuntary manslaughter and fourth-degree felony vehicular homicide. He was sentenced to 9 to 13.5 years in prison, with 2 to 5 years of post-release supervision.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 23:24 (CET).