Meadowbrook Elementary School students hurt in East Meadow school bus crash

Counseling will be available this week for Meadowbrook Elementary School students, after a school bus crash in East Meadow on Monday sent 13 students and the driver to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries, officials said.

All of the victims were released from Nassau University Medical Center on Monday evening, according to the East Meadow School District.

The bus collided with a 2009 Toyota pickup truck at 3:39 p.m. on Old Westbury Road near Melanie Drive, according to the police. 

There were 41 students, ranging from kindergarten through fifth grade, on the bus, police said.

In addition to the 13 students hurt, the bus driver, 66, also sustained minor injuries. The driver of the pickup, 57, sustained hip injuries and was taken to a hospital, police said.

"The safety of our students and staff is our district’s top priority," East Meadow Schools Superintendent Kenneth Card said in a letter to parents on Tuesday. "I understand that the accident is extremely upsetting for the students and families directly involved. We will have counseling available at the school this week for any student who may need assistance."

Guardian Bus Company of Oceanside, which operated the bus involved in the crash, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

With John Asbury

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.