Saginaw County, MI — December 3, 2025, four people were injured in a bus-truck accident at about 4:30 p.m. on Midland Road/State Route 47.

Authorities said a southbound Carrollton Public Schools bus was trying to turn left onto Tittabawasee Road when it collided with a northbound semi-truck.

Both drivers and two passengers on the bus were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries after the crash near Saginaw, according to authorities. There were no students on the bus.

The crash forced authorities to close the highway for several hours to clean up a fuel spill.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Saginaw County crash at this time.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When people hear about a crash between a school bus and an 18-wheeler, one of the first things they want to know is: How could something like this happen? That’s especially true in a case like this one, where a school district vehicle was turning left and collided with an oncoming semi-truck. Even though no students were on the bus, the public deserves clear answers about what went wrong, and whether it could have been prevented.

Right now, there’s not enough information to say for certain who’s responsible. But what we do know raises several unanswered questions that point to the need for a deeper investigation.

The crash reportedly occurred as the bus was turning left off Midland Road and collided with a northbound semi. That detail alone opens up multiple possibilities. For example:

• Was the truck speeding or unable to stop in time?
• Did the bus driver misjudge the gap and turn in front of the semi?
• Were there any visibility issues at that intersection?
• Did either vehicle have a green light, a stop sign or no traffic control at all?

Each of those factors could significantly affect who is at fault here, but none of them can be answered based on current public reports.

From my experience handling these kinds of cases, the best way to get answers is through hard evidence, not assumptions. That starts with pulling data from the semi-truck's engine control module (ECM), which can show how fast it was going, whether it braked and what inputs the driver made in the moments before impact. If the truck was equipped with in-cab cameras or dash cams, those could provide direct insight into visibility, traffic conditions and the behavior of both drivers.

Phone records also matter. Was either driver distracted in the moments before the crash? That’s not something anyone can determine just by looking at the scene. It requires subpoenas and investigative follow-through.

Beyond the crash itself, there’s also the question of whether the truck driver should have been on the road to begin with. Too often, I see cases where companies cut corners on hiring or training, putting drivers behind the wheel who lack the judgment or skills to safely handle large commercial vehicles. A proper review of this crash would look at the driver’s background, driving record, and what kind of training the trucking company provided, if any.

As for the bus, it’s not clear what traffic controls were in place at the intersection or whether the driver had the legal right-of-way. Depending on that, the legal picture could shift significantly. But again, we don’t know that yet.

Until that evidence comes to light, the real story of this crash remains untold.

Key Takeaways

• It’s unclear whether the bus turned in front of the truck or if the semi failed to yield; both scenarios raise different legal questions.
• Evidence like black box data, dash cams and phone records will be critical to understanding what happened.
• The truck driver’s speed, attention and training history must all be investigated.
• Bus drivers also have strict safety duties; whether this left turn was lawful or safe is still unknown.
• Determining fault requires a full investigation, not guesswork or assumptions.