Police: 5 injured in school bus-SUV collision

Two special-needs students, a bus matron and bus driver all suffered minor injuries when the mini school bus they were on collided with a sport utility vehicle in Holtsville on Friday, Suffolk County police said.

Police said the bus was transporting the students to Samoset Middle School in Holbrook when the crash occurred at the intersection of Portion Road and Leeds Boulevard at 7:53 a.m.

The injured, including the driver of the SUV, were taken to Stony Brook University Hospital.

The Sachem Central School District, which operates the middle school, confirmed the bus was providing transportation to Samoset and identified the students as a boy and a girl. In accordance with privacy laws, no other student information was released.

Police said the bus was headed westbound on Portion Road and the SUV was southbound on Leeds when the crash occurred. The crash closed down Portion Road for more than an hour. The crash remains under investigation. No charges have been filed at this time.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”