Bus Driver Killed as 2 Upstate NY School Buses Crash in Whiteout

High winds, blowing snow, and zero visibility are being blamed for a tragic and bizarre crash just before 3 p.m. on Friday afternoon in a rural part of the Holland Patent School District, that took the life of a school bus driver and injured others.

According to Oneida County Sheriff Rob Maciol, on Friday, March 7, 2025 at around 3pm, the Oneida County Sheriffs Office investigated a fatal motor vehicle accident involving two school buses from the Holland Patent School District on Rickmeyer Road in the Town of Floyd, west of Utica.

Sheriff Maciol says, a Holland Patent School District bus operated by 57-year-old Michael J. Page from Stittville was carrying three students while traveling in a southerly direction on Rickmeyer Road when he appears to have crossed into the path of another Holland Patent School District bus operated by 58-year-old Jean C. Marsden of Holland Patent. Marsden was traveling in a northerly direction and transporting two students when the two buses collided. Police say as a result of head-on impact, Marsden was pronounced dead at the scene. The two students on her bus were transported to the Wynn Hospital in Utica by AmCare Ambulance for injuries sustained in the accident. Page, the other driver, was also transported to Wynn Hospital by AmCare Ambulance for a foot injury. The three students on the bus driven by Page were all evaluated at the scene before being signed over to their parents. Maciol says, none of the injuries to the students that were transported to the hospital appear to be life threatening. None of the student's names will be released due to their ages.

The Holland Patent School District issued the following statement on their website: "We are deeply saddened to confirm that a bus accident occurred in the Holland Patent Central School District this afternoon. Our Holland Patent Central School District community is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Jean Marsden, a beloved bus driver, colleague and friend. Our thoughts are with the students, staff and families who were impacted by this tragic accident. At this early stage, the authorities and the District are in the process of investigating the accident."

The Oneida County Sheriff's Office was assisted at the scene by the New York State Police, members of the Floyd Fire Department, Stittville Fire Department, AmCare Ambulance, the New York State Department of Transportation, and the Holland Patent School District. Both buses were removed by Clinton Collision.

The accident is still under investigation, but at this time, whiteout weather conditions due to the wind and blowing snow in the area of the accident would appear to be a factor, according to police.

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Gallery Credit: Bill Keeler