A "major" accident involving a school bus transferring prekindergarten students on a Texas highway resulted in the death of at least two people, including a student, according to an announcement from a law enforcement official.
Texas School Bus Carried Prekindergarten Children When It Crashed
The Texas Department of Public Safety disclosed that a passenger vehicle and a concrete truck were also involved in the collision. The casualties identified involve a boy student from the bus and a male driving a Dodge Charger, as verified by Texas DPS spokesperson Deon Cockrell.
The incident occurred as a "major traffic event" on State Highway 21 West at Caldwell Road, as stated by the Bastrop County Sheriff's Office.
A boy onboard the bus succumbed to injuries, while the other victim was in a Dodge Charger trailing the bus when it was struck by the concrete truck.
According to initial details, the school bus was headed west on the highway around 2 p.m. local time when a concrete truck from the completely different direction "drifted into the bus's lane," Cockrell made clear during a press briefing. The crash caused the bus to flip over onto its side.
Cockrell mentioned that state traffic investigators were looking into the circumstances surrounding the accident, including why the concrete truck seemed to swerve into opposing traffic.
Two Dies, Including Child in Texas School Bus Crash
Authorities stated that the bus overturned. The passenger vehicle involved was following the bus, Cockrell added. Emergency responders evaluated 53 individuals at the scene, with four airlifted in critical condition, as per Austin-Travis County EMS Division Chief Kevin Parker. Parker noted that it was unclear which vehicle they were traveling in.
Additionally, six people with "potentially serious injuries" were transported by ground, Parker mentioned. Some individuals with minor injuries were also taken to hospitals by ground transport, while others did not require medical transport.
The school bus was carrying prekindergarten students from Tom Green Elementary School in Hays County, according to a press release from the Hays Consolidated Independent School District. They were coming back from a field trip to the Bastrop Zoo when the "serious accident" took place, the release stated. In total, there were 55 occupants on the bus, comprising 44 students and 11 adults.
"Further updates on accurate patient counts and conditions will be provided later," stated emergency services on X.
The district mentioned that parents were directly informed by its campus and children were being reunited with their parents. Hays CISD staff are assisting first responders at the accident site and reunification spot.
Senator John Cornyn of Texas conveyed his condolences and prayers for those who lost loved ones in the collision. He conveyed his shock and deep sadness regarding the school bus accident in Bastrop County, as stated on social media platform X. Officials advised the public to steer clear of the accident site.
