Earlier this Wednesday morning, 19 students were taken to hospitals following a school bus crash in DeKalb County, with the bus involved in a collision that landed the vehicle in a ditch alongside River Road. According to an update from FOX 5 Atlanta, the incident occurred near Salem Middle School at around 8 a.m., with the bus hit by another vehicle before impacting a pole. The majority of students were transported to medical facilities by their family members following the crash, with school officials noting fortunately that there were no serious injuries.
The details of the crash were further clarified in a report by WALB News, stating that the bus and car were negotiating a curve on River Road in opposite directions, the other vehicle left its lane, struck the bus, and caused it to overturn into a ditch, the bus was carrying 25 students at the time and lacked seat belts. Jalisa Bradley, a parent of one of the students, recounted to WALB News the raw panic of the moment through a phone call with her daughter, "All you could just hear was kids screaming, frantic. The bus driver [was] yelling at kids to come back, trying to gain control of the situation," she expressed her concern by saying, "You want your kids to get to school safe," and lamented the unpredictability of such incidents.
In light of the crash, Raymond Stanley, DeKalb County Schools' executive director for transportation, affirmed the rigorous procedures in place for those behind the wheel of the district's buses, "Our first preliminary goal is to make sure all students are safe, transported safely to school each and every day," Stanley told WALB, elucidating the district's commitment to safety which entails extensive training as well as annual evaluations for bus drivers. The DeKalb County Police, with assistance from the school's police unit, is leading an ongoing investigation into the circumstances of the accident. Meanwhile, the road has since been cleared and reopened.
As the community processes the morning's turmoil and the repercussions thereof, updates continue to surface concerning the well-being of the involved students and further details on the crash's cause. Additional information is expected to be released by DeKalb County authorities and the local school district as the investigation progresses. Concerned individuals are encouraged to monitor local news outlets for the latest developments regarding this incident.
