Bus wreck sends 12 to hospital
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“It was like it was all happening in slow motion,” recalled high school student Ryan Presley of the crash which left bus No. 9347 driven by Amy LeBeau, lying on its side in a field.
The accident happened around 6:30 a.m. as LaBeau, a six-year bus driver, was making her regular rounds on Williams Road, which is the last road off Highway 56 North before the DeKalb County line. The bus was carrying 24 students, ages kindergarten through 12th grade, all bound for Dibrell Elementary, where they either attend school or would catch another bus to the high school.
The crash happened as LeBeau was rounding a tight curve. LeBeau said she saw a cooler turn over and asked a student to pick up the cooler. It was at that point, LeBeau said one of the front wheels slid off the road. The driver was unable to regain control of the bus, as it continued over the embankment and rolled onto its passenger side.
“I was just shocked it was happening,” said high school student Richard Presley, who was sitting beside a passenger window when other students began falling on him from the driver’s side. “This is one of those times I wish the buses had seatbelts.”
Many students admitted they were stunned by the sudden crash. While no one was seriously injured, there were times many weren’t so sure.
Les Adams recalled one girl who suffered a bloody nose in the crash. At first, he was unsure how seriously the girl was hurt.
“I thought she may be dying right there beside me because of all the blood,” said Adams with the girl’s blood still on his arm. “There was blood, but I didn’t know from where. It was just all so crazy.”
Emergency units converged on the scene within minutes, finding the students emerging from both the rear door and emergency escape hatches located on the roof of the bus. The injured students were given first aid at the scene and then transported to River Park Hospital by the Warren and DeKalb County ambulance services.
River Park spokesperson Susan Barrett said the hospital emergency room received its first patient at 6:39 a.m. She said the last of the 12 students treated was released late Tuesday morning.
“It was just minor injuries,” said Barrett. “Some bumps and bruises and one broken bone so that’s good considering what happened.”
The uninjured students were loaded aboard another bus to be taken to school. Several parents, hearing of the crash, converged on the wreck scene and River Park Hospital to check on their children.
A tearful LeBeau said she has almost been run off the road on the curve where the crash happened by other oncoming vehicles on numerous occasions.
Rena Tate, whose son was waiting on the bus just yards from where it crashed, said the section of the road where the crash happened is very dangerous.
“I saw a car almost do the same thing this past Sunday,” Tate said. “This is a very dangerous road and that curve has caused a lot of people to run off and through the field.”
Several school system administrators were on the scene including director of transportation Melissa Orrick. She helped keep track of students who were going to the hospital and those going to school.
“We’ve had a couple of minor incidents this year, but this is the first accident with injury,” Orrick said, noting LeBeau, who has logged a lot of miles as a bus driver, can return to work when she feels she’s ready.
Orrick added bus drivers have to undergo training from veteran bus drivers and then have to pass written and practical tests before they are allowed behind the wheel. Buses, such as 9347 have a capacity of over 70 students. However, LeBeau was only conducting a Dibrell School run, meaning she was almost through picking up her passengers when the crash happened.
As for River Park, the hospital was able to treat and release all the patients in a timely fashion.
“The ambulance service called the accident in so we would be ready,” said Barrett. “We went to what’s called a code yellow which is for external disasters like bus accidents and tornadoes. When that happens, everyone has a role to play and everyone did a great job playing that role. We’re here for the community when they need us and that was the case this morning.”