SUV strikes school bus

A Clarendon school bus carrying 27 students was damaged in an accident when a Fort Worth man fell asleep behind the wheel last Thursday, October 23.

According to the Donley County Sheriff’s Office, Asher Christian Henry, age 39, was traveling westbound on US 287 at about 3:40 p.m. when the gray Subaru SUV he was driving departed from the lefthand lane and struck the school bus, which was eastbound and stopped in the turning lane waiting to turn south onto Jefferson Street.

Henry told the investigating officer he was tired and drowsy from traveling from the Ft. Worth area and said he went to sleep while driving.

The accident stopped traffic on US 287 for a time and littered the roadway with belongings from the SUV. The Associated Ambulance Authority responded and checked those involved in the accident. Two students were transported to Northwest Texas Hospital to be checked but were released. No major injuries were reported regarding the bus driver or Henry or his passenger.

Clarendon CISD Superintendent Rick Teran said an adjuster had not yet looked at the bus to determine if it can be fixed. The school has a backup bus in the meantime.

Henry was issued a citation for failing to drive in a single lane.