According to witnesses the accident was caused by a Jeep Cherokee driven by Elk Grove resident, Gregory Nishkian. Nishkian was reportedly driving erratically westbound on Hwy 16. A CHP official told KCRA that the driver of the Jeep appeared to be passing vehicles illegally, possibly leading to the wreck involving an Elk Grove Unified School District bus and a large gravel truck driven by Larry Krause. "According the witnesses, the driver of the Jeep Cherokee had (run) a couple of red lights within the city of Rancho Murieta," said Felix Izarraras of the CHP. The injured Jeep driver was taken to a local hospital via helicopter. He was said to be in critical condition. An 8-year-old boy in the 22-person bus and the bus driver were taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries. The driver of the big rig, Krause, walked away with scrapes and bruises. The rig came to rest after smashing into a power pole just a short distance from Benancio Rodriguez, who was working in a nearby ditch. Rodriguez, who was not injured, said he experienced the closest call of his life.--The second accident clogging a main artery into, and out, of the county occurred on Hwy 88 just east of Liberty Rd near the Amador/San Joaquin county line around 8:30 am this morning. The accident required the use of the Jaws of Life to extricate one victim whom was airlifted from the accident site. A second victim was transported by air ambulance from Sutter Amador Hospital a short time later. The accident is under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.