Two wheels fell off a school bus with 25 Elk County children on board along Route 28 south Thursday morning, but neither they or the bus driver were injured, state police said. The driver, Walter Mehalko, 63, of Wilcox, was able to pull the crippled bus over to the road side between the Creighton and Pittsburgh Mills exits at about 9 a.m. The bus was one of two from the Johnsonburg School District heading to the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh Superintendent Dennis Crotzer said the children were able to get into a second bus, also from the Joseph Muccio Transportation, of St. Marys, Pa. "to enjoy the field trip." Police said they are investigating why the lug bolts on one wheel came loose and that wheel and the one behind it came off. State police said the stricken bus was following another Muccio bus when the wheels came off. The lead bus stopped and the children were able to get onto that bus for the rest of the trip. Tpr. J. Pomaybo couldn't say if the bus company has experienced similar problems. Asked about a published report that the lug nuts may have been intentionally loosened, Pomaybo said he "can't verify that information." He said he is checking with the Ridgeway state police detachment and otherwise investigating.

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