A school bus carrying dozens of preschoolers overturned in Texas on Friday afternoon, killing at least two people, including a child.
The students at Tom Green Elementary School had just returned from a field trip to the Bastrop County Zoo, according to a statement from the Hays Consolidated Independent School District. There were 44 students and 11 adults on the bus.
The accident occurred in Bastrop County, about 60 miles southeast of Austin. Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services said 32 people were taken to hospitals, some with minor injuries.
The bus was heading west on State Route 21 when a concrete truck heading east veered into its lane and struck the bus around 2 p.m., Sgt. Bass said. Deon Cockrell of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Several children reportedly jumped off the bus.
Cockrell said a man in a Dodge Charger crashed into the bus, killing him as well. It is unclear if the man is part of the school group. Cockrell said the driver of the concrete truck is cooperating with authorities, noting it is unclear whether the driver will be charged pending the outcome of the investigation.
Hays School District spokesman Tim Savoy said the bus was a 2011 model and did not have seat belts. He said school buses manufactured after 2017 are equipped with seat belts.
Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services Director Kevin Parker said the deceased was a boy. Authorities have not released the boy's age.
EMS assessed 53 injuries. Parker said four people were taken by helicopter to a hospital with serious injuries, but he did not say whether the injured were children or adults. Six more people were taken by ambulance to hospitals with potentially serious injuries, Parker said. Others were treated at the scene or taken to hospital with minor injuries. Mr Parker said an ambulance bus was used to transport 10 people with minor injuries to hospital.
In a statement from Texas State X (formerly Twitter) Governor Greg Abbott called for this. Texans pray for the victims of the accident. He said he has spoken with District Superintendent Eric Wright and “offered the state's full support in helping the community through this tragedy.”
“I would like to thank the first responders and law enforcement officers who immediately responded to the scene and continued to assist our injured fellow Texans,” Abbott said.
family reunited with children
Families of students on the bus were reunited with their children at Tom Green Elementary School.
Jonathan Rivera and his wife, Cynthia Rivera, emerged from Tom Green Elementary School shortly before 6 p.m. She said she just found out her 5-year-old niece was safe.
“She just transferred from Austin, so this is her first school trip and this is the worst,” Cynthia Rivera said.
Cynthia Yescas said her 4-year-old nephew was on the bus. She said he was okay, but he was slightly injured and she and another relative were going to take him to the hospital.
“Children are scared more than anything,” she says.
Residents talk about the aftermath of the accident
Alejandro Anaya, who lives across the street from the bus accident site, was at home when he heard the crash. He said state highways can be dangerous because people drive at high speeds on two-lane roads with speed limits of 105 mph.
“The speeds on this highway are not safe,” Anaya said.
When the accident happened, his family took action to calm their frightened children. The family said they gave the students water and cold towels.
Some children were reportedly afraid to board the buses that arrived to reunite with their parents. They feared further conflict.
Across the street from Anaya's house, the school bus that had been involved in the accident was lying askew on the grassy shoulder of the road.
“Some (students) were really seriously injured, but some were OK. They just had minor wounds,” Anaya said.
He says it's scary to think about accidents involving children.
“It was horrible,” Anaya said, pointing to children playing with toy trucks in her yard. “It's something you don't want to see for your kids, especially your family.”