A driver ran a stop sign and slammed into a school bus near Dover Tuesday morning, sending both the driver and the lone student aboard the bus to the hospital. The crash happened shortly after 8:30 a.m. at the intersection of McIntosh Road and Jess Walden Road, according to deputies.
Trauma Alert Called After Stop-Sign Crash
According to FOX 13 Tampa Bay, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said the vehicle driver ran a stop sign before striking the bus, citing the early investigation into the wreck. The driver was rushed to Tampa General Hospital as a trauma alert, per the sheriff's office.
The bus was carrying just one student at the time of the crash, and that student was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, the outlet reported. The sheriff's office said it is continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collision.
Key Details Still Unreleased
As of the report, investigators had not released the identity of the driver or the age of the student. It also remained unclear whether traffic citations or criminal charges would be filed in connection with the crash, with those determinations still pending as the investigation continues.
Tampa Has Seen Similar Bus Crashes Before
This is not the first time a Hillsborough County school bus has been involved in a serious collision. In a separate incident, two drivers and two students were hospitalized after a school bus and an SUV collided in Tampa on a Thursday morning, according to WFLA. That bus was carrying 29 students when the crash happened near 43rd Street and Hanna Avenue, and police said the SUV driver may have experienced a medical episode before veering into the bus's path. In that case, the two injured students and the bus driver suffered only minor injuries, while the SUV driver was left with a broken leg and other injuries and was listed in critical but stable condition.
Florida law does carve out specific exceptions for when drivers must stop for a school bus. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles notes that traffic approaching an oncoming school bus is not required to stop only when a raised barrier, such as a concrete divider, or at least five feet of unpaved space separates the lanes of travel. It is not clear from available information whether that exception applies to the layout at McIntosh Road and Jess Walden Road.
For now, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office has released few additional details as its investigation into Tuesday's crash continues. Families in the Dover area are left waiting for updates on the condition of the student and the driver, as well as any potential charges stemming from the collision.
