Thursday, March 16, 2000 Older Editions

Mustang collides with school bus

By Rebecca Lipchitz

A driver who was allegedly speeding while attempting to drive around a cement truck parked on the side of Osgood Street and collided head-on with a school bus Monday afternoon, was also allegedly fleeing a hit-and-run accident.

Police say Jeffrey Sidlik, 26, of Methuen, had struck another vehicle shortly before he sped off and then collided with the bus in front of 86 Osgood St.

Bus bashed -- A school bus carrying students from the Lawrence Collaborative School was struck head-on Monday afternoon by a Ford Mustang driven by Jeffrey Sidlik, of Methuen. At right, Carol Znamierowski, transportation coordinator, and Ken Jacques, head of operations for the Assist Medical Transportation, which operates the bus service, walk past the damaged vehicles. Two students were taken to the hospital, but they were treated and released to their parents.

The school bus, coming from the Lawrence Collaborative School, was also driving around a cement truck waiting at the side of the road, about 100 yards up the street from the cement truck Sidlik was trying to get around, says Sgt. John Pathiakis.

Two 14-year-old students on the bus were treated for minor injuries, Pathiakis says.

Sidlik, who was trapped inside his Ford Mustang after it collided with the bus, was treated at Lawrence General Hospital.

While the accident is still being investigated, Sidlik will at least be charged with operating after license suspension, leaving the scene of an accident and operating to endanger, police say.

According to police, Sidlik's license had been suspended for unpaid speeding tickets in Andover and Lowell, his license had previously been suspended in Virginia and North Carolina, and he is a repeat offender in all three states plus New Hampshire.

A witness reported seeing the Mustang hit another vehicle shortly before the bus accident, and the Mustang shows fresh scrapes on a portion of the car that would show a previous accident, Pathiakis says.

The driver of the vehicle involved in the first accident has not come forward, Pathiakis says.