A school bus was involved in a crash Wednesday morning that left several children with minor injuries, officials said.
DeKalb County Fire Rescue Department got the call about the crash around 8:30 a.m. in the 4200 block of River Road, near County Line-Ellenwood Library, according to Capt. Jaeson Daniels. An oncoming vehicle was also involved in the crash.
Roughly 19 of the 25 students on the bus reported minor injuries and were transported to local hospitals, according to Raymond Stanley, executive director for transportation and fleet in DeKalb County. The bus driver was also transported to a hospital, but she did not have serious injuries.
After the collision, the bus hit a pole and then became wedged on its side in a ditch, officials said. The bus was heading to Salem Middle School, located roughly five miles from the crash.
Jaylisa Bradley’s 11-year-old daughter, who was transported to the hospital to be treated for her injuries, called her mom just after the crash. Bradley said that her daughter hit her head on the back of a seat and the window, leaving her with a black eye and swelling on her face.
“I just really hope everybody is safe and this type of stuff doesn’t happen again,” Bradley said.
All parents were made aware of the crash, Stanley said. Many parents, like Bradley, arrived on the scene after they received calls from their children, he added.
“I just really hope everybody’s OK, especially all the kids,” Bradley said. “Even if they’re not OK physically, just with them being traumatized from this type of situation, not knowing how to brace yourself, not knowing how to prepare for this type of stuff.”
Bradley said that she could hear the children screaming in the background when her daughter called as the bus driver tried to calm everyone down and keep them near the bus. The bus driver is a veteran driver for the district, according to Stanley.
“Our first primary goal is to make sure that all students are transported to school safely each and every day,” Stanley said. “Drivers go through extensive training to become bus drivers as well as annual evaluations each year.”
One person in the car had a minor leg injury, according to Daniels.
No other details, including what led to the crash or if any charges are pending, have been released.
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