Staff reports 5:58 a.m.
Saturday, May 16, 2026 5:59 am

MARLBOROUGH - One person is deceased following a crash involving a school bus in Marlborough.

The incident unfolded just after 7 a.m. on Friday when State Troopers responded to a reported crash involving a school bus and a pickup truck on Route 12 near Webb Depot Road, in Marlborough.

When Troopers arrived, they found a serious collision had occurred and determined the driver of the pickup was deceased.

A preliminary investigation determined that a school bus, driven by James French, 77, of Keene, was traveling north on Route 12 when it was struck head-on by a red 2008 Ford F-250 pickup truck, driven by David Peloski, 74, of Swanzey.

Thirteen children from the Monadnock Regional Middle High School were on board the school bus at the time of the crash. While some students were taken to an area hospital as a precaution, no serious injuries were reported. French, the driver of the school bus, was also transported to the hospital with injuries believed to be non-life-threatening. Peloski was the sole occupant of the pickup. His body will be transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy.