A Salem High School football team bus overturned overnight after the squad's Friday night road game against Greater Atlanta Christian School, leaving dozens of students and staff hospitalized in Rockdale County. The bus was carrying 27 people, including 17 players, seven trainers, two coaches and a driver, as it traveled near the interchange of Georgia Highway 138 and Interstate 20.
The Rockdale County School District said 22 students and three adults were transported to area hospitals following the crash, according to Atlanta News First. One person was airlifted for injuries, and the outlet reported that many of those taken in for treatment had since been released. Separately, FOX 5 Atlanta reported that at least 12 people aboard the bus suffered injuries in the wreck.
Accounts of exactly when the crash happened differ. Atlanta News First reported the accident occurred around 12:30 a.m. on Georgia Highway 138 near I-20, while WSB-TV reported the crash happened closer to 10:48 p.m. at the same interchange. Neither the precise timeline nor the full scope of injuries has been independently reconciled across the reports.
Troopers Describe How the Bus Crossed All Lanes
Georgia State Patrol troopers said the 74-year-old school bus driver lost control while exiting Interstate 20, crossing all lanes of Georgia Highway 138 before striking a black Kia Soul, according to the station's report from WSB-TV. Both the bus driver and the driver of the Kia Soul were taken to the hospital, per the same account. The cause of the overall accident remains under investigation.
Emergency crews shut down all lanes near the interchange while they worked the scene, the Rockdale Citizen reported, placing the crash near Highway 138 and Interstate 20 in Rockdale County. The closure came as multiple agencies responded to help clear the overturned bus and treat those injured.
Support Resources Mobilize for Affected Families
The Youth Peace and Justice Foundation, an organization founded to support students and families after traumatic events following the Uvalde school shooting, said it would provide chaplain support and mental health resources to those affected by the crash. The foundation's commitment was detailed in Atlanta News First's coverage of the aftermath.
The crash adds to a broader pattern flagged by state officials: the Georgia Department of Public Safety has said that since August 1, 2025, Georgia State Troopers, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement officers and local law enforcement agencies had investigated 95 school bus crashes statewide in which fault was attributed to another motorist. In a separate incident this past August, a Georgia school bus partially overturned on Georgia Highway 211 near Raymond Drive, sending six students to the hospital, according to School Transportation News.
As of the latest reporting, the cause of the Rockdale County crash remained under investigation, and Atlanta News First said it had reached out to law enforcement for further information. No additional details on the condition of those still hospitalized had been released.
