OSP release - Polk County, Ore. (Feb. 24, 2026) - On Monday, February 23, 2026, at 9:51 a.m., Oregon State Police responded to a two-vehicle crash on Highway 22, at the intersection with Highway 51, in Polk County.  The preliminary investigation indicated a westbound Salem-Keizer Thomas school bus, operated by Chandra Jean Milkovich-Howard (33) of Turner, attempted a left turn onto southbound Highway 51. The school bus entered the path of an eastbound Honda Pilot, operated by Luke Richard Brittan (68) of Independence, causing a head-on crash.  The operator of the Honda (Brittan) was declared deceased at the scene.  The operator of the Thomas school bus (Milkovich-Howard) suffered reported minor injuries and was transported to an area hospital.  The school bus was occupied by 2 adults and 30 students. One student suffered a reported minor injury and was transported to 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. 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.  OSP was assisted by the Polk County Sheriff's Office and ODOT.