AT least two people have been killed — including one little boy — after a truck careened into a school bus involving 44 preschool students and 11 adults on Friday.
The children were traveling home from a day at the zoo when the concrete truck veered into them in western Bastrop County, Texas, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services said.
At least two people have been killed, including a small boy, in a devastating school bus accident involving 44 preschool students and 11 adults in Texas on FridayAP
At least one of the two fatalities was a child and the other was a man who was driving behind the bus, EMS workers said
At least 11 adults were traveling in the school bus alongside the childrenAP
The crash on State Highway 21 occurred at 1:59 pm and emergency responders were called to the scene at 2:05 pmAP
Four people were transported by helicopter in critical condition and dozens more were transported to a local hospital by ambulanceNews 4
The Hays District School bus was driving along State Highway 21 on Friday afternoon when the concrete truck struck from the opposite direction, causing the bus to flip.
Several children flew out of the bus when it made impact, said Sergeant Deon Cockrell of the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Eleven adults and 44 preschool students from Tom Green Elementary School were on the bus at the time of the crash, according to a statement from the Hays Consolidated Independent School District.
Thirty-two people have been hospitalized and at least two have died, including one young boy and a man driving in a Dodge Charger behind the bus, Texas Department of Public Safety officials said Friday evening as reported by local NPR affiliate KUT.
Four patients were transported by helicopter and are currently in critical condition, officials said. Their ages and identities have not been made public.
Six others were seriously injured and transported by ambulance, EMS officials said.
The crash occurred at 2751 W. State Highway 21 near Caldwell Road when a concrete truck driving in the opposite direction veered into oncoming traffic and hit the bus at approximately 1:59 pm.
Because of the large number of potential victims, five ambulances were immediately sent to the crash site along with an ambulance bus, capable of transporting up to 40 people.
All of the patients who needed treatment had been brought to the nearest hospital by 4:30 pm, EMS said.
“Any further updates with accurate patient counts and patient conditions will be given at a later time,” officials wrote on X.
The driver of the concrete truck is cooperating with officials and has not yet been charged with a crime, DPS officials said.
Parents of the students who had been traveling on the bus were notified by school officials and are in the process of being reunited with their children.
Several Hays School District teachers and staff arrived at the crash sight to help emergency workers and reunification efforts upon learning the terrible news.
Some witnesses living near the massive crash heard the collision happen and said that they already knew State Highway 21 was dangerous.
“The speed this highway has, it’s not safe,” Alejandro Anaya told local reporters.
He heard the crash from his nearby home and rushed to the scene to help, he said.
“Some of (the students) were really, really badly injured and some of them were OK; they just had minor scratches,” he said.
And some of the children, waiting aside their overturned school bus, were afraid to board the medical bus to go to the hospital when it arrived, Anaya said.
“It was bad, not something someone would want to see on a kid, especially with a family,” Anaya said, himself a father.
Officials warned residents to avoid the area near the crash as emergency personnel work to clean the site.
Traffic delays are expected for several more hours.
FOX 26At least 32 people were transported to the hospital for treatment[/caption]
News 4The school bus crashed into a concrete truck, officials said[/caption]
KWTXSeveral teachers and staff from Hays District Schools arrived at the site to help emergency workers[/caption]
News 4The children were returning from a field trip to the zoo[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
