Truck driver 'falls asleep at wheel' before colliding with car and killing driver and then plowing into packed school bus

A woman died and 43 children were taken to hospital after a truck driver 'fell asleep at the wheel' and plowed into oncoming vehicles including a packed school bus.

The incident occurred around 8.10am on Highway 97 just north of Orondo, Washington yesterday.

It is the second time truck driver Kenneth Hahn has caused a collision by crossing the central line, police said. 

Carmela Cuellar Morales, the 22-year-old car driver, was declared dead at the scene.

A woman died and 43 children were taken to hospital after a truck driver 'fell asleep at the wheel' and plowed into vehicles including an oncoming school bus

Photos show significant damage to the right front side of the yellow bus (right), with part of its roof caved in and all the windows smashed. The front half of the box truck (left) was destroyed 

A number of students had minor injuries and two people traveling in the truck sustained serious wounds.

The Orondo School District bus, driven by Pamela Robertson, 53, was taking children to the elementary-middle school when the collision occurred.

Photos show significant damage to the right front side of the bus, with part of its roof caved in and all the windows smashed. The front half of the box truck was also destroyed.

Jasmine Gaona, a six-year-old pupil, told KOMO that when the bus crashed all of the children fell off their seats. She had to have her knee bandaged. 

The injured people were taken to Central Washington Hospital in Wenatchee, about 20 miles south of the accident.

Tracey Kasnic, a chief nursing officer at the hospital, said most people were suffering from bruises and lacerations. Only a few had fractures, KOMO reported. 

The cause of the crash was not initially known. Temperatures in the area were above freezing and there was no sign of snow or ice on the road. 

But last night trooper Darren Wright said: 'We do suspect the driver fell asleep.' 

Investigators will now test blood samples from Hahn for alcohol or drugs. 

A spokesman for the school described the situation as 'upsetting'.  

The injured people were taken to Central Washington Hospital in Wenatchee (pictured), about 20 miles south of the accident

Douglas County Sheriff Harvey Gjesdal said it was the worst accident he had seen in his 30-year law enforcement career.

'Anything involving a school bus causes great concern - sad, sad,' he said.

Washington State Patrol reminded residents on Facebook yesterday to get enough sleep.

It said: 'In honor of national ‪#‎SleepAwarenessweek‬, March 2-8, we would like to remind drivers to stay awake and alert behind the wheel.

'According to a study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, people who sleep six to seven hours a night are twice as likely to be involved in a crash as those sleeping eight hours or more, while people sleeping less than five hours increased their risk four to five times.'