Six students from Fort Pierce Central High School were injured last Saturday night in a crash involving two school buses and an SUV in the Bradenton area. The students were returning home from a band competition when the crash occurred, according to CBS12.
The Florida Highway Patrol reported that a Ford SUV traveling east on State Road 70 failed to stop and rear-ended one of the stopped school buses near Palmbrush Trail. The impact caused a chain reaction involving a second bus. Around 150 students were aboard the buses at the time.
Six students sustained minor injuries and were transported to local hospitals. By yesterday, five of them had been released, while one remained under observation.
According to WPBF, the SUV caught fire following the collision. A 2-year-old boy in the vehicle was airlifted to a hospital with serious injuries. The driver, a 32-year-old woman from Tampa, received treatment for minor injuries.
St. Lucie Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Jon R. Prince thanked Manatee County Schools, local first responders, and staff for their assistance following the crash, in a statement provided to CBS12.
Manatee County Schools supplied two replacement buses to transport the remaining students home. The students were reunited with their families early morning yesterday.
