First Coast NewsSTARKE, Fla. — Seven students were taken to the hospital after a semi-truck smashed into the back of a school bus in Bradford County Monday afternoon.
At least one of the Starke Elementary students was seriously injured and two people inside the semi were in serious condition following the crash on U.S. 301 near State Road 200 in Lawtey just after 2:30 p.m., FHP Sgt. Dylan Bryan told First Coast News. All of those injured were taken to UF Health in Gainesville.
FHP said 15 students were on the bus at the time of the crash.
According to FHP, dispatch received several calls that the semi was driving erratically before the crash. FHP and the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office were responding to the calls when the crash happened.
FHP later said a female passenger in the semi was naked at the time of the crash. A police officer who arrived at the scene had to hand her a towel to cover up.
Bradford County Sheriff Gordon Smith said the bus driver told them she tried to get out of the way.
“She said that when she noticed that the truck driver coming up behind her was not stopping, she released the brake and tried to mash the gas,” Smith said.
Sheriff Smith said witnesses told investigators the driver of the semi truck never applied to brakes.
Terrance Jamerson and Scott Korschewitz didn’t know each other until Monday, but they both saw the driver of a log truck driving erratically. Jamerson said he witnessed it for miles and reported it a couple of times.
Both witnessed the crash.
“I seen the bus explode,” Jamerson said. “I just jumped out of my truck. I went right toward the bus with the kids.”
Korschewitz and Jamerson jumped in and helped the children.
“Once I jumped onto the bus, there was a young lady who had her leg pinned on the seat,” said Korschewitz who had just returned from taking a certification exam to be a corrections officer where some of the questions focused on first aid.
Janice Crawford also saw the collision.
“Unreal. I seen that semi hit that bus. It hit the back end of it lifted it up,” said witness Janice Crawford. “I thought all four of my kids were on that bus.” Luckily, said Crawford, her recently adopted children were still at school at Bible study.
None of the injuries are deemed life-threatening, Sgt. Bryan said. The accident shut down southbound traffic on 301.
“I couldn’t do nothing. All I could do is just stand there and scream,” the witness said.
A tweet by the Bradford County School District confirmed the accident, but did not provide any additional details:
One of our school buses (Route 54 from Starke Elementary School) was involved in an accident with a semi truck a… http://t.co/YExkyrTeR8
— Bradford Schools (@EducateBradford) September 29, 2014
FHP says the bus was unloading kids on 301 when it was rear-ended. No word yet from the trucking company that owns the truck, Mo’s Trucking of Palatka.
Our news partners The Florida Times-Union were at the scene of the crash shortly after the collision and recorded video of the aftermath:
Just a wild guess, but I would say the truck driver is lucky his appendage was not bit off.
My thoughts exactly!
My thoughts, also.
Probably just a good Samaritan giving an underprivileged lady a ride to the nearest goodwill store to procure some clothing. Accidents can happen to anyone. Damned conspiracy theorists will really put a spin on this open and shut case.
That wasn`t Morgan Freeman driving that semi I wonder ?