Driver and coach injured after head-on crash with school bus Saturday

An SUV and a school bus collided head-on Saturday morning, injuring the SUV driver and a coach of a high school girls gymnastics team.

The New Castle gymnastics team was on its way to a regional competition at Columbus East High School at about 9:19 Saturday morning and was passing through eastern Bartholomew County near County Road 900E on State Road 46, when the accident happened according to Bartholomew County deputies.

The driver of the SUV was trapped in the wreckage and had to be freed from the vehicle by Hartsville and Columbus firefighters. He was flown to IU Methodist Hospital by Lifeline helicopter. An assistant coach of the team was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital after suffering rib injuries.

Hartsville firefighters report that many of the girls were asleep at the time of the crash and were uninjured.

Firefighters report that East delayed the start of the gymnastics meet, and sent a bus to pick up the New Castle team. The regional has been postponed until 7 p.m. tonight.