A school bus carrying 44 preschoolers and 11 adults crashed into a cement truck in Texas Friday, leaving two people dead, according to a KXAN News report.
Emergency officials responded to the scene near Mustang Ridge in Bastrop County around 2:17 p.m. local time, according to KXAN News. The bus carrying Tom Green Elementary preschool students was returning from a field trip to the Bastrop Zoo, the Hays Consolidated Independent School District said in a news release, according to the outlet.
The truck reportedly swerved into the lane the bus was in, KXAN reported. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) was unable to confirm to KXAN if the truck driver would be facing any charges.
Parents of the children on the bus were reportedly “notified directly from the campus” following the incident, KXAN reported. The district is reportedly “in the process of conducting reunification.”
One child and one adult died from the crash, the Austin-Travis County EMS said on Twitter. Four people were evaluated with critical injuries, and six were evaluated with potentially serious injuries.
The remaining injuries were minor and those people were either taken to local medical centers or a reunification center, according to officials. (RELATED: ‘Mass Casualty’ Bus Crash In Ohio Leaves 3 Dead, 15 Injured: REPORT).
The man killed during the incident was in a vehicle traveling behind the bus, the Texas DPS told KXAN.
“Highway 21 near the Caldwell/Bastrop county line is shut down due to a multiple fatality accident involving a school bus,” the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook.
🚨#BREAKING: A Pre-K School Bus Collides with Cement Truck with over three dozen people were Involved, Injuries and Fatalities have been Reported
⁰📌#BastropCounty | #TexasCurrently Numerous law enforcement and emergency crews are currently on the scene in Bastrop County,… pic.twitter.com/0tMZE9fGcm
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) March 22, 2024
Around 3:30 p.m., two helicopters arrived at the scene and transported four patients to local hospitals. There were additional people transported to local medical centers, the outlet reported. Roughly an hour later, medics at the scene said all patients in need of medical attention were transported and taken away from the scene, KXAN reported.
“I am shocked and deeply saddened to hear about the school bus accident in Bastrop County today,” Texas Sen. John Cornyn said on Twitter. “Please join me in praying for these children, educators, and their families, especially those who have lost loved ones, during this difficult time.”