By CALEB FREY

Staff Reporter

LAPLACE – A pickup truck hit the back of a St. John Parish school bus injuring over a dozen students Thursday afternoon as it was making one of its normal stops, which happens to be in the middle of East Airline Highway.

The school bus was dropping off students from Lake Pontchartrain Elementary in front of Colonial Mobile Home and RV Park around 3:20 p.m., according to State Police Troop B who handled the incident.

The Expert Glass of LaPlace pickup that crashed into the rear of the St. John school bus was driven by Don G. Matherne, 49, of Kenner. State Police said Matherne had no passengers in his vehicle and was taken to River Parishes Hospital in LaPlace.

Over a dozen children on the bus were taken to River Parishes Hospital also suffering from very minor injuries.

State Police said the accident is still under investigation.