Two elementary school girls escaped serious injury after being hit by a car while boarding their school bus in Weare on Wednesday, Dec. 20.

Stephanie Marion, 7, and Sarah Provencal, 9, were struck by a car at the corner of Windsong Heights and Concord Stage Road at approximately 8:26 that morning, said Detective Lou Chatel, who headed the investigation into the accident.

The car, driven by Michelle Housman of Weare, had apparently swerved to miss the bus and instead hit the two Center Woods Elementary School students, Chatel said.

“We believe (Housman) had been looking in the rearview mirror and talking to her son, not realizing that the bus had stopped. Her son told her to look out for the bus, and she swerved,” Chatel said.

Both of the girls went airborne upon being hit, Chatel said. While Provencal landed on her backpack, Chatel said Marion may have been struck a second time.

Stephanie Marion’s mother, Tracy, saw the accident happen and said the sight left a jarring impression.

“It’s utter shock and disbelief, horror and everything like it multiplied by 12,000 because you can’t believe something like this would happen right in front of your eyes,” Tracy Marion said.

The bus driver, Jeannie Thibeault, was an EMT with the town’s fire department and provided initial care at the scene, Chatel said. Both girls were taken to a local hospital and released later that day.

Tracy Marion said the school parent/teacher organization issued Stephanie a toy bear in recognition of her bravery, and schoolmates noticed the secondgrader had also been on television news the previous night.

“Everyone said to (Stephanie), ‘We saw you on the news last night! You’re famous,’ and she was all right with that,” Tracy Marion said.

Michelle Housman will not be charged with any driving offenses as a result of the accident, Chatel said.

“This a true car accident,” Chatel said. “She wasn’t speeding or negligent or impaired. She suffered enough on scene,” Chatel said.