What could have been a catastrophe on a Bushnell railroad crossing ended with relief and a lot of shaken nerves. A Sumter County school bus carrying 29 students and two adults was clipped by a train Thursday afternoon, and while no one on board was hurt, the driver has been cited and is no longer working for the school district.
What officials say
Deputies said the back end of Bus 2517 was struck as it crossed the tracks at East Central Avenue and North Main Street, triggering multiple railroad-crossing closures around Bushnell, as reported by FOX 35 Orlando. Sumter County officials told ClickOrlando the bus had 29 students and two adults on board when the crash happened and that the driver was cited for failing to stop at the railroad crossing. Superintendent Logan W. Brown visited the scene later in the day and publicly thanked first responders for how quickly they moved to secure the area and check on students.
Video and witness accounts
A TikTok video that took off the same afternoon, posted by user @pre.k.thug26 and viewed more than 500,000 times according to ClickOrlando, shows students screaming as a train barrels past the rear of the bus. Resident Christina Armstrong told ClickOrlando she saw the bus "stop before the tracks, and then it started to go," and said she "saw the bus pull forward, but not enough" before the train clipped it.
Investigation and district response
The Sumter County Sheriff's Office has opened an investigation into the collision and asked the public to be patient while deputies review evidence collected at the crossing, according to FOX 35 Orlando. District officials said administrators from South Sumter Middle School and South Sumter High School went to the site to help reunite students with their families.
Legal implications
Authorities confirmed the bus driver was cited for failing to stop at the railroad crossing, and the school district has removed the employee from service. Investigators will determine whether any additional criminal charges or administrative penalties are appropriate as they continue to review what happened.
What families should know
Superintendent Brown said the district will release more information as it becomes available. Parents with immediate questions about bus routes or student release procedures were told to contact the Sumter County Schools transportation office.
