School bus crashes in Waikato

A Waikato school bus carrying 36 children crashed off a road into a ditch this morning - the second time it had left the road on today's school run, police say.

Emergency services were called to the crash on State Highway 26 at Tatuanui, 7km north east of Morrinsville in eastern Waikato, about 8.20am.

The bus had left the road near the intersection with Brown Road, but the driver was able to get it back on the tarmac, Sergeant Neil Mansill of Matamata-Piako Strategic Traffic Unit said.

But the bus later left the road again and went into a ditch, coming to rest against a fence.

Mr Mansill said the children were "a bit shaken up" and some suffered bruising, while the driver was taken to a local medical centre for examination.

Matamata-Piako police and specialist commercial vehicle investigators were now investigating the cause of crash.

- NZPA