SCHOOL BUS CRASH REPORTS 2004

Bus accident causes scare - Dublin, Georgia
February 24, 2004
At least one injury; 28 other students transported to hospital

Laurens County School Superintendent Dr. Larry Daniel said today, Bassett was to undergo surgery Monday night.

“His arm is in bad shape,” said Daniel. “The last word we got was that they should be able to save the arm with limited use.”

Bassett is a seventh grader at West Laurens Middle School. Daniel said school officials are calling the family at press time today and hope to go to Macon later on today.

The frightened students were seen hugging each other and trying to help each other until medical workers could get to them. One little girl was crying, upset because she had seen Bassett’s injuries before leaving the bus.

“His head hit real hard,” she cried. “And, he’s bleeding real bad.”

Other students would then start crying all over again when they heard of Bassett’s condition. Bassett was sitting on the right side of the bus and when it overturned his arm went through the window.

Bus driver Barbara James kept saying she was fine until the last student was loaded to be taken from the scene then she collapsed. It was determined she was hyperventilating from the stress, according to a volunteer at the hospital.

Although school personnel, emergency responders and parents tried to comfort the children, the scene of the crash was chaotic and traumatic.

According to Laurens County Emergency Medical Services Director Terry Cobb, eight students were transported to Fairview Park Hospital by ambulance from the scene not far from the state Route 19 end of Pinehill Road. Cobb also said about twenty students were transported to the hospital by bus.

Cobb said five ambulances were taken to the scene. The county only has four ambulances on call at a time and two were out of town. However, several more are parked at the EMS building. Cobb said two off-duty paramedics were at the station along with him.

“We took all the trucks we could,” said Cobb. “I knew once I got the trucks to the scene we’d have first responders to help us drive them to the hospital.”

Several first responders did drive for the paramedics who stayed in the back with the children.

Wanda Childers, who lives on Sportsman Club Road, said she was waiting for her grandson to get home when she noticed several neighbors jump in their cars and leave.

She said she knew immediately something had happened to the bus and then a neighbor stopped and yelled for her to come. Childers was seen trying to comfort children at the scene.

“The paramedics and all were remarkable,” she said. “They were calm considering all the chaos and hysteria out there.”

Terry Cannon said he met an ambulance and saw all his neighbors heading out of Sportsman Club Road on his way home. He turned around to follow them and when he saw the wrecked school bus he jumped from his vehicle leaving it running.

“I ran all the way and was about out of breath when I got there,” he said, adding he couldn’t even talk to his child when he found him because he was so upset.

Cannon said he noticed too that all the children “were all looking out, wanting to know about this one and that one.”

“That’s the way country people are - looking out for each other,” said Richard Childers.

Also, at the scene the children were giving several different versions of what had happened. The bus was practically still fully loaded with only a few having been dropped off, said Daniel.

Georgia State Patrol Trooper First Class Brad Mosher said the accident is still under investigation.

“There’s a lot of speculation and rumors about what happened,” said Mosher. “I’m still looking into each one and I ask the public not to jump to conclusions until I have time to prove or disprove every lead.”

Mosher said the school bus was equipped with a video camera attached to the inside front of the bus that records the children on the bus. He said school officials were very cooperative Monday evening and offered the video to him. Mosher, Daniel and Bus Supervisor Morris Knight watched the video together Monday evening.

“She did pass a car right there and one or two seconds later she wrecked,” said Mosher, who added he still does not know if the car was actually involved in the accident.

He was out Monday until after 10 p.m. interviewing possible witnesses and said he had come back out at 7 a.m. today to meet with students to interview them.

“I know people are going to want answers,” said Mosher, who added the completed investigation may take several days.

Once the children arrived at the hospital, the less seriously injured were taken to same day surgery.

Verno Davidson, Chief Nursing Officer of Fairview Park Hospital, said the minute notice was given by EMS of multiple injuries at least 15 extra people were called in to the hospital. She said this emergency was classified as a level three, which is the highest alert.

Several children were saying they would never ride a bus again. Daniel said those statements were understandable. He said school counselors would be available for the children and several were on scene at the hospital.

Dublin Fire Chief commended all the responders from the school personnel who assisted on scene to all the volunteers.

“It went good,” he said of the response.

Stephanie Miller

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