HORSEPEN - One student was injured yesterday morning when a tractor trailer and a Mingo County Schools bus collided on Horsepen Mountain.

Then, later in the day, a Logan County Schools bus loaded with kids on their way home was struck by an oncoming car. No one was injured in that crash.

The Mingo County crash occurred around 11:15 a.m. on the Gilbert side of Horsepen Mountain when a bus transporting 18 Gilbert High School students to the Mingo County Career and Technical Center at Delbarton, according to Mingo County Schools Transportation Director Joe Howard said this morning.

Howard was on the scene at the collision shortly after it happened.

Howard said one child suffered minor injuries and was transported by the Stafford Ambulance Service to Williamson Memorial Hospital for treatment. Howard said the student was complaining of back pain.

Howard said the bus driver had actually pulled over to the ditchline to avoid the truck and had stopped and the tractor trailer's back tire caught the front bumper of the bus, causing minor damage. The truck's back tire burst due to the collision, Howard added.

"We're very fortunate that it wasn't worse," Howard said. "We got off extremely lucky."

Howard said all parents were called and some arrived on the scene to pick up their children.

"That's school policy," Howard said.

This is the first school bus accident this year for Mingo County, Howard said.

"We're very fortunate with the terrain the way it is over here and the amount of coal trucks that are on the road," Howard said.

Traffic was snarled in both lanes of U.S. Route 52 for more than an hour.

A few hours later in Logan County, a Chapmanville Regional High School bus was stopped to let students off and a car was unable to stop and collided with the side of the bus.

No one was injured, according to Logan County Schools Assistant Superintendent Jim Guy.

"It wasn't that bad," Guy said. "The girl couldn't stop due to the wet roads. But, she did a very good job getting away from the bus. She could have hit it head-on. Everyone on the bus was checked out and either their parents came and got them or they were put onto another bus and taken home."

The bus had about 36 students on board and the kids were from Chapmanville Regional High School and Chapmanville Middle School, Guy said. The crash happened at Mill Creek.

"It is unfortunate, but it happens," Guy said.

There have been several minor bus crashes this year in Logan County.

Early yesterday morning, a Logan County Schools bus caught fire at the bus garage. No one was injured.