School bus sideswipes Ukiah home

A Ukiah school bus driver lost control of her vehicle on a curve Tuesday morning, allowing it to careen into a ditch, crash through a fence, sideswipe a house and strike a propane tank before coming to a stop, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Neither the driver nor her lone 10-year-old passenger were injured during the mishap, which occurred north of Ukiah at 7:40 a.m. But nearby homes were evacuated and Eastside Calpella Road was closed for almost two hours while the leak from the propane tank was contained, the CHP said.

As a precaution, the driver of the Ukiah Unified School District bus, Ruth Michele Esquivel, 30, of Ukiah, and the passenger, Cali Hill, of Ukiah, were transported to the hospital for evaluation, the CHP said.