School buses found crashed, driven into playground near Lafayette
LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WISH) — Vandals crashed school buses and even drove them into playground equipment at a middle and elementary school complex in Tippecanoe County, the sheriff’s office said Sunday.
Sue Scott, communications coordinator for the Tippecanoe School Corp., said the district in a message to parents expressed shock at the “senseless acts.” She told News 8 that the buses involved were decommissioned and scheduled for trade-in, so the damage will not impact Monday’s routes to and from school.
Shortly before 9:30 a.m. Sunday, deputies learned of the damage in a secured parking area and a shared playground for Wea Ridge Middle and Elementary schools. That’s southwest of the intersection of East County Road 430 South and South County Road 150 East, which is just south of Lafayette’s southern border.
At least eight school buses sustained damage. The sheriff’s office list of damage was extensive:
- Six school buses had been driven within and outside of the secured parking area that’s south of the middle school.
- Two buses were stuck in mud outside of the fenced area, south of the secure bus parking lot.
- Another parked school bus appeared to be struck within the parking lot and pushed backward into a light pole.
- Two additional buses were located outside the secured fenced area and had been driven into a wooded area south of the parking lot and onto a cross-country path.
- At least one school bus was used to crash through additional fencing of the lot and driven onto the school grounds.
- At least one school bus was used to crash through and damage playground equipment between the middle and elementary schools.
- A school bus was driven off the parking lot south of the middle school, down an embankment, through the fence and then back into the parking lot.
Scott said repairs were made to the playground so part of it can be used Monday.
Lt. Matthew S. Couch of the sheriff’s office said in a news release that investigators are asking for the public’s help to find the culprits. Anyone with information to contact
the sheriff’s office at (765) 423-9321, use the Safer Watch App, or contact the WeTip Hotline at 800-782-7463. Subjects may remain anonymous using the WeTip Hotline.
