PASCO, Wash. – A bus and pickup truck collided around the Sagemoor Road and Taylor Flats Road intersection around 7:50 p.m. on October 14. The unmarked bus had 38 adult H-2A workers inside, the truck had two people inside, according to the Benton County Sheriff’s Office.
The cause of the crash is being investigated, according to BCSO. Even though the truck impact was head-on, the two people inside were not injured. The bus was hit near the driver’s side tire.
Four bus passengers were taken to local hospitals for minor injuries, according to BCSO. Transportation is being arranged for the remaining workers. Traffic impacts are not expected.
After arriving on scene, BCSO activated the Disaster Medical Control Center, which is ran through Kadlec. When there’s a possible mass casualty incident, law enforcement tells DMCC about the situation. Kadlec will then call all of the area hospitals to see how many patients each could take, if necessary, according to BCSO.
While there were only a few minor injuries from the collision, BCSO noted this incident showed how helpful DMCC would be in the event of a mass casualty incident. Anything more than five can begin to overwhelm a system, according to law enforcement on scene.