A Grays Harbor Transit bus slid off the roadway on SR105 and tipped into a ditch shortly after 7 a.m. Thursday morning, Dec. 17. The accident occurred alongside Twin Harbors State Park near Milepost 30, approximately a half mile south of the Grayland ‘T’.
Aberdeen resident, Steven Ames, 61, was driving the bus. According to Grays Harbor Transit Operations Manager Patti Carlin, he is a veteran driver that has been with the system for approximately 20 years, who has logged nearly two million miles without an accident.
Reportedly there were four passengers onboard the bus at the time of the accident. They exited through a rear emergency window, with Ames crawling out the driver’s side emergency window. Three of the passengers left the scene prior to the arrival of the State Patrol.
Ames was transported to Grays Harbor Community Hospital for a medical check. The adult male at the scene was uninjured. According to Carlin, a male juvenile was transported by private vehicle to the hospital to be checked out.
Due to privacy laws, no information is available on either of their medical conditions.
According to a State Patrol memo, Ames was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash and no drugs or alcohol were involved.
The 2002 Gillis bus had reportable damage and was towed from the scene.
The driver was cited for failing to maintain his lane.