State police identify driver killed in Monday morning crash with school bus
Updated 4:50 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24 following a statement by the Oregon State Police.
An unsafe left turn led to a crash Monday between a school bus and an SUV that killed a man from Independence and injured the bus driver and a student, according to the Oregon State Police.
Luke R. Brittan, 68, died at the scene, the state police said in a Tuesday statement. The crash occurred at the intersection of Highway 22 and Highway 51.
The bus driver, Chandra J. Milkovich-Howard, was transported to the hospital with minor injuries, along with a student who the Oregon State Police did not identify.
Salem-Keizer School District spokesman Aaron Harada said Monday the bus was transporting North Salem High School students to Western Oregon University for a field trip. The bus had 30 students and two adults on it, including the driver.
Brittan was driving a Honda Pilot.
Milkovich-Howard was driving westbound on Highway 22 before attempting a left turn onto Highway 51, Oregon State Police said.
The school bus crashed “head-on” into Brittan’s car, according to the statement.
The intersection was closed for four hours during the on-scene investigation, according to state police, who were assisted by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the Oregon Department of Transportation. Milkovich-Howard was issued a citation for the unsafe left turn, and the investigation is ongoing.
She has been a school bus driver for the district since October 2019, according to Harada.
There have been two fatal crashes at the intersection since 2024, according to state crash data.
The Oregon Department of Transportation has said the intersection has a high rate of crashes and plans to redesign the interchange to improve safety for drivers turning onto Highway 51, according to a state website.
Original story below:
One person is dead and at least two have been transported to the hospital after a crash between a car and a Salem-Keizer School District bus Monday morning, Feb. 23, on Highway 22 west of Salem.
The person who died was the driver of the SUV, said Capt. Kyle Kennedy, Oregon State Police spokesman. He said the bus driver and one student were transported for minor injuries.
The crash was reported at 9:49 a.m. near milepost 20, the intersection of Highway 22 and Highway 51 to Independence, dispatch records show. All of Highway 22 was closed in both directions as of around 10:30 a.m. Monday, Salem Fire Assistant Chief Brian Carrara said.
Salem-Keizer School District spokesman Aaron Harada said the bus was transporting North Salem High School students to Western Oregon University for a field trip. About 30 students were on the bus that crashed, according to the Salem Fire Department.
“This is a terribly tragic event. Our hearts and thoughts go out to the family of the driver who lost their life,” Harada said in a statement. “We are fully cooperating with the investigation while we also supporting our staff and students who were on board at the time of the incident.”
It was one of two buses en route to the university. The other bus was not involved in the crash. The students on board were mostly freshmen, Harada said.
Harada said students on both buses returned to North, and a crisis team was setting up at the school to provide counseling and support.
Highway 22 was fully reopened as of 2 p.m., the Oregon Department of Transportation said.
This story was updated with additional information about the bus involved and the highway reopening. It was updated again to add a statement from Aaron Harada, school district spokesman.
Correction: This article was updated to correct the count of students on the bus that crashed after an initially incorrect figure from the Salem-Keizer School District.
Contact reporter Abbey McDonald: [email protected] or 503-575-1251.
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Senior Reporter Abbey McDonald joined the Salem Reporter in 2022, where she covers homelessness and housing. She previously worked as the business reporter at The Astorian. A University of Oregon grad, she has also reported for the Malheur Enterprise, The News-Review and Willamette Week.
Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers education, economic development and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for over a decade and is a past president of Oregon's Society of Professional Journalists chapter. Outside of work, you can often find her gardening or with her nose buried in a book.
Madeleine Moore joined Salem Reporter in 2024 and reports on a variety of topics including public safety, addiction, treatment and the criminal justice system. She came to Salem after graduating from the University of Oregon in June 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
3 Comments
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This is so sad. Praying for the children who were impacted by this tragedy and the family of the deceased individual.
I have a question. Am I forced to comment this way or is this Salem Reporters normal way to comment now? I am a paying customer to your publication.
Very dangerous intersection especially to turn left. I heard there are plans for improvement.
Why was the bus taking 51 to get to WOU? 22 to 99 is much safer, especially for a school bus. So sad.