Driver recovering from Hebron car-bus crash

HEBRON—   A 19-year-old driver who crashed his car head-on with an Oxford Hills school bus last week on Route 119 is recovering well, his grandfather reported Tuesday. 

"He's doing great," said Willie Buffington, of his grandson, Brandon Buffington, who suffered two broken arms and two broken legs following the crash. 

"He talked with his father this morning," said Buffington Tuesday. "He was able to get out of bed this morning and get in a wheelchair by himself and move around." 

According to Buffington, his grandson is expected to be released from the hospital in the next week or so. 

"They set up therapy with him yesterday," said Buffington. 

Buffington was pleased to hear his grandson is doing so well only a week after the accident.

Following the accident, Brandon Buffington was flown by LifeFlight to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston for severe, but not life-threatening injuries. On September 18, he was listed in critical condition at CMMC.  

According to Sheriff Wayne Gallant, the bus was transporting middle school and high school students home to Hebron when the westbound 1999 Audi A4, driven by Brandon Buffington of Paris, crossed the center line and crashed into the bus. 

Immediately following the collision, emergency personnel had to use the Jaws of Life to cut the roof of the car and extricate the driver.

Along with the 19-year-old driver, seven students and the bus driver, identified as Stephanie Rowe, of Paris, were treated for minor injuries and released from Stephens Memorial Hospital in Norway, SAD 17 Superintendent Rick Colpitts reported the following day. 

"It's amazing that he's come as far as he has," said Buffington of his grandson, since the accident. 

According to Buffington, his grandson has been complaining about pain in his right arm after being operated on last Friday. 

"He still has a long road ahead of him," said Buffington, "but my wife and I were quite pleased last night when we went down [to visit], to see the change in him from one day to the next." 

"It was bad," he said of the accident, "but it could've been a lot worse." 

The cause of the crash is still being investigated by police.