MONMOUTH – More than two dozen school children escaped injury but a Newport man was hurt Tuesday afternoon when a car slammed into the back of a bus on Route 202.

Douglas Butler, 36, was being treated at Central Maine Medical Center after he was extricated from his mangled truck and taken to the Lewiston hospital by helicopter.

Butler was being examined for possible internal injuries suffered in the 2:30 p.m. wreck. He was listed in serious condition at CMMC Tuesday night, a nursing supervisor said.

Police said Butler was driving a GMC Jimmy west on Route 202 when he struck the back of the school bus that had stopped in front of him.

Butler was conscious as he was pulled from his Jimmy and taken to the hospital, police said. He told investigators he had pulled down the visor to shield his eyes from the sun when he crashed, according to Monmouth police Officer James Phillips.

The bus was carrying middle and high school students home after a day of classes. The 25 kids on the bus ranged from fourth- to 12th-graders, Phillips said.

The bus driver was not identified.

Police closed a section of Route 202 as rescue crews responded to the scene. Monmouth police, fire and rescue crews were assisted by police and paramedics from Winthrop.

Traffic was rerouted around the crash site while firefighters used extrication equipment to free Butler from his vehicle. The road was reopened after about an hour.

The wreck remained under investigation Tuesday night. Phillips said it appeared the crash was caused by the sun. Both Butler and the school bus were heading west at the time of the crash.

“None of the kids was hurt, thank goodness,” said Monmouth Police Chief Charles Shaw.

The rear of the bus was extensively damaged in the crash. Butler’s Jimmy was totalled.