A Williamsburg-James City County school bus overturned in a single-vehicle crash Friday morning in James City County, sending the driver and an aide to the hospital while four preschool-aged children aboard were caught in the wreck. The crash happened around 9:22 a.m. in the 4400 block of Centerville Road, snarling traffic and triggering a lengthy road closure as investigators worked to piece together what happened.
The bus was en route to drop the children off at the Bright Beginnings preschool program at Clara Byrd Baker Elementary School when it overturned, according to WTKR. The two adults on board, a male driver and a female aide, were transported to an area hospital with what appeared to be minor injuries, the station reported.
Accounts differ on the condition of the four children who were riding the bus. WTKR reported that the children sustained minor injuries, were evaluated at the scene, were not transported to a hospital and were all reunited with their families. But WAVY, citing police, reported that no children were injured in the crash and that it was only the driver and the aide who sustained minor injuries. Hoodline could not independently verify which account is accurate.
Road Closed for Hours as Investigation Continues
Centerville Road was closed between the 4400 and 4700 blocks for an extended period following the crash, according to WYDaily. Police were investigating but had not said what caused the bus to leave the road, the outlet reported.
No cause has been publicly identified, and it remains unclear whether any citations will result from the crash. The investigation was ongoing as of Friday, with authorities offering no further detail on what led the bus off its route.
Not the First Bus Incident in the District
Friday's crash is the latest in a string of school bus incidents involving the Williamsburg-James City County school system. In November 2024, a Williamsburg-James City County school bus struck another bus in the area, an incident the Daily Press reported caused no serious injuries. That crash happened around 6:30 a.m. in the 5300 block of Riverview Road, when one bus veered off the roadway, struck a stationary bus in the oncoming lane and then hit a tree.
In that 2024 collision, an adult aide was taken to the hospital for further evaluation and one minor was treated at the scene for a small cut, the Daily Press reported. Police said at the time that no charges were expected. Statewide, school bus crashes have drawn scrutiny in recent years: in October 2023, a Virginia school bus driver and 12 children were hurt when a bus bound for an elementary school overturned, according to officials cited by the Associated Press.
Friday's crash was first reported by 13News Now. As of Friday afternoon, police had not released additional details on the driver's or aide's conditions, nor confirmed when Centerville Road fully reopened to traffic.
