Woman seriously injured after being hit by Cedar Rapids school bus

UPDATE: Sunlight partially blinded a school bus driver who struck and seriously injured a woman who was trying to cross a busy Cedar Rapids street, police said.

Bus driver Vicki Laird, 43, of Hiawatha, was southbound on 15th Street NE around 8 a.m. Wednesday and was turning left onto First Avenue East when the bus hit Bonnie Nielsen, 84, of Cedar Rapids, police said. Nielsen was in the crosswalk, police said.

Witnesses said Nielsen's glasses flew off and landed about 10 feet away. No students were on the Cedar Rapids Community School District bus, No. 0806, at the time.

Audra Krieger, 25, of Cedar Rapids, said she and her husband had just left McDonald's when they saw the accident. She said the Nielsen had started to cross to the north when the bus turned her way.

“She started to side-step (when she saw the bus), but the lady just didn't see her,” Krieger said.

The couple quickly parked and ran to help Nielsen, who was moaning, bleeding from her mouth and breathing heavy. She was in-and-out of consciousness and face down on the street, Krieger said.

Lt. Jerry Potter said Nielsen was taken to St. Luke's Hospital. He said Laird told police she didn't see the woman because the sun was in her eyes.

“It doesn't negate your responsibility, but the sun certainly was a factor,” Potter said.

School district spokeswoman Marcia Hughes said Laird, who is in her fifth year with the district, was en route to her first stop on A Avenue NE near 19th Street NE. Neither she nor an attendant on board saw the pedestrian, Hughes said.

Investigators were still determining if charges would be filed, Potter said.