Three children were hospitalized Friday after a motorist collided with a Manchester Board of Education school bus that was dropping off children at Manchester High School.

The balance of children on the bus were examined by school nurses after the 11:37 a.m. collision, while the driver of the passenger car that police say hit the bus also was hospitalized.

Police say a 17-year-old Pine Lake Park girl had just dropped her brother off at the high school when she exited the driveway onto South Colonial Drive and collided with the bus, operated by Kathleen White, 59, of Whiting.

The girl, who was driving a 2003 Honda Accord, was treated at Community Medical Center in Toms River on a complaint of head pain. Police say she was wearing a seat belt at the time of the collision and that her air bag deployed upon impact.

Three children also were transported to Community Medical Center after complaining of pain. The remaining children were examined and transported by another bus to the high school, police say.

Both the bus and the Honda suffered significant damage and had to be towed from the scene, police say.

The collision is under investigation by Patrolman Antonio Ellis of the Manchester Police Traffic Safety Bureau. Police were assisted at the scene by Quality Medical Transport and the Manchester Volunteer First Aid Squad.