ELLENWOOD, GA – A morning school bus crash led to the precautionary hospitalization of 19 students in DeKalb County, as informed by the school district. The accident happened around 8:20 a.m. on River Road in Ellenwood.
The school bus collided with another vehicle, causing significant damage to both. The crash left the bus in a ditch with a smashed front, while the opposing vehicle’s hood was severely damaged.
Reports earlier indicated minor injuries for four student passengers and moderate injuries to an individual from the car. Without seat belts in the bus, which was carrying 25 students to Salem Middle School, safety concerns heightened even more.
Jalisa Bradley, whose 6th-grade daughter was among the injured students, recounted the chaotic aftermath of the crash. Despite bearing a black eye and a swollen face, her daughter managed to describe how the bus driver veered the bus into a ditch, hitting a pole while trying to evade an oncoming vehicle. In Bradley’s words, the accident shook her faith in school bus transportation.
The executive director for transportation at DeKalb County Schools, Raymond Stanley, praised the bus driver’s management of the incident. He stressed the district’s commitment to student safety and rigorous standards for school bus drivers.