Two individuals were transported to the hospital following a collision involving a school bus and a pickup truck on Southeast Federal Highway in Martin County, according to officials.
The incident occurred when a pickup truck rear-ended a school bus that had stopped at a bus stop to pick up students. Fortunately, none of the 23 South Fork High School students on board the bus were injured, reported Sheriff’s Sgt. Jake Blaszyk.
According to Blaszyk, the school bus was traveling north on Southeast Federal Highway when it stopped to load students. Before the bus doors could even open, the pickup truck struck the bus from behind.
“The vehicle behind the truck stopped in time, but the vehicle behind it did not, causing a ‘domino effect’,” said Blaszyk.
The school bus driver was taken to the hospital for evaluation, as was the driver of one of the other vehicles involved, who suffered neck and back injuries, according to Blaszyk. After the crash, authorities apprehended the pickup driver, charging him with leaving the scene of a crash with injuries and DUI property damage.
One northbound lane was closed for a period, which caused traffic delays in the area. All lanes have since been reopened.
Some students’ parents picked up their children, but the school also dispatched another bus to transport the students to South Fork High School.
