Officials: Wires that fell on bus no danger to students

Utility pole wires came down on a Wantagh school bus with high school students on board Thursday evening, bringing the bus and traffic to a halt. However, responding fire department, police and LIPA crews determined that the wires were not electrical, and no one was injured, officials said.

The bus was traveling south on Wantagh Avenue about 5:30 p.m. when it struck low-hanging utility wires, which came down on the bus near Williams Street, officials said.

The wires were later determined to be either telephone or cable wires, officials said, but were initially feared to be live power company wires.

From a window at the fire department location on Wantagh Avenue, dispatcher Ed Campis could see the scene.

"We saw it and transmitted the alarm," Campis said. The wires "came down off the pole on the top of the bus. . . . All the traffic was backed up and the bus was in a cockeyed angle."

LIPA responded within 15 minutes and determined that the wires were not dangerous, officials said. No one was injured and traffic flow resumed about 6 p.m., officials said.