A Pinellas County school bus carrying about 50 students and staff crashed into a roadside object Wednesday afternoon while leaving a parking lot near Coachman Park in Clearwater, sending seven students to local hospitals for evaluation. All reported injuries were described as minor.
The crash happened at approximately 12:48 p.m. as the bus pulled away from a lot near the park following a concert at The BayCare Sound, according to IONTB. The outlet reported that while turning to exit the lot, the bus struck a vehicle-mitigation safety bollard on the park's south side at low speed. FOX 13 News, however, described the object differently, reporting that the bus hit a pole while turning to exit, damaging its passenger side and one of its tires. The two accounts have not been reconciled.
Seven Students Taken In For Evaluation
All occupants on board were evaluated for potential injuries at the scene, and seven students were transported to local hospitals for further medical evaluation and treatment, the same report from IONTB notes. FOX 13 News likewise confirmed that seven students were taken to local hospitals for evaluation following the crash.
Officials have not yet confirmed what caused the driver to hit the object, per FOX 13 News's reporting. The students were reportedly from Garrison-Jones Elementary School, according to IONTB, though that detail has not been independently verified elsewhere.
Incident Followed Concert Outing
The Tampa Bay Times also reported on the crash near Coachman Park, noting that the incident occurred after students attended a concert at The BayCare Sound before boarding the bus for the return trip. No further details on the cause of the crash, the specific hospitals involved, or the identities of those on board have been released as of Wednesday afternoon.
