Police in Oregon say a school bus driver’s unsafe driving led to a crash that killed an innocent driver. Chandra Jean Milkovich-Howard, 33, was driving a school bus with 30 juveniles and two adults onboard on Highway 22 at the intersection of Highway 51 in Polk County just before 10 a.m. on February 23, 2026. Milkovich-Howard reportedly attempted to make a left turn and drove right into the path of a Honda Pilot driven by Luke Richard Brittan, 68. The vehicles collided head-on, and Brittan died at the scene. It appears Milkovich-Howard’s imprudent driving may have caused Brittan’s death.
According to a news release from Oregon State Police, Milkovich-Howard was traveling westbound and tried to turn onto southbound Highway 51. In doing so, her school bus collided with the vehicle driven by Brittan, who was in the eastbound lane. Milkovich-Howard and one student had minor injuries and were treated at an area hospital.
“The highway was impacted for approximately four hours during the on-scene investigation. An unsafe left turn is considered the primary cause of the collision,” police noted in the news release. “The Thomas operator was issued a citation for the unsafe left turn. The investigation is on-going and will be forwarded to the district attorney when complete for consideration.”
Aaron Harada, a representative for the school district, told People that students from North Salem High School were traveling to Western Oregon University for a field trip.
“This is a terribly tragic event. Our hearts and thoughts go out to the family of the driver who lost their life,” the district shared in a statement. “We are fully cooperating with the investigation while we [are] also supporting our staff and students who were on board at the time of the incident.”
It’s unclear thus far whether Milkovich-Howard will face charges, but police appear to believe she caused the accident.
Driving a school bus is a huge responsibility. You can’t take any chances when it comes to protecting the lives of kids.
