The Coos County Sheriff's Office will submit an investigation report from last week's school bus accident on Libby Lane to the county's district attorney later this week, Sheriff Andy Jackson said Wednesday.

"I wish it was a slam-dunk, one way or the other, but there are too many issues. We just can't make an easy decision," Jackson said. "There were statements made that we are trying to verify ... whether there was anything to them at all."

The move to send a report from a traffic accident to the DA is not typical, and occurs only "once in a great while," he said.

The expertise of the DA is used when it is difficult to determine who is in the wrong and if there is enough evidence to warrant filing charges or not, Jackson said.

"We are going to put our report together and submit it to the DA's office and let them make a decision from there," Jackson said.

The report details the accounts of the crash from various eyewitnesses and what numerous law enforcement officers observed during their investigation, Jackson said.

The accident occurred 2 miles east of Charleston and sent 16 Millicoma Intermediate School students to the hospital Friday afternoon.

Many students had minor injuries, but none were seriously injured.

Witnesses at the scene reported that the westbound school bus swerved to avoid a large beverage truck heading east on Libby Lane.

The bus driver lost control of the bus and crashed into a ditch where the bus turned onto the driver side.

- Carl Mickelson, staff writer