Students from PJHS in bus crash

A bus carrying seventh- and eighth-grade Portales basketball players collided with another vehicle on Tuesday, causing a three-vehicle accident, Clovis Police Lt. James Schoeffel said.

None of the students were injured in the accident, but three people in the vehicle struck directly by the bus were transported to Plains Regional Medical Center, Schoeffel said. He said their condition was unknown.

The students were on their way to a basketball game at Clovis’ Gattis Junior High School when the accident occurred near the corner of Prince and Grand streets in Clovis.

Clovis Police Officer Chris Lopez, at the scene of the accident, said, “Two vehicles were stopped at the intersection and the bus driver didn’t see them until too late.”

The bus driver was cited for following too closely behind the other vehicles, Schoeffel said.

This is the second accident involving an area school bus in the last week. A Clovis school bus and a car collided on Norris Street last Thursday. Police also reported no students were injured in that accident.