Austin Bus Crash Injures Students, Driver
At least nine children and a school bus driver were injured Wednesday, August 13, after a bus carrying more than 40 students rolled over in northwest Austin, Texas, on the first day of the new school year.
According to the Travis County Emergency Services District, the Leander Independent School District bus was traveling along Nameless Road near Honeycomb Lane around 3 p.m. when the crash occurred. Authorities said 43 people were on board when the vehicle veered to the right before tipping onto its side.
Emergency responders confirmed that nine students and the driver were transported to local medical facilities for evaluation and treatment. A total of 12 people were injured, with one patient reported to have life-threatening injuries and two others sustaining potentially life-threatening injuries. The remaining injured suffered non-life-threatening conditions.
A reunification center was quickly established at Round Mountain Church, where the 33 uninjured students were brought to meet their families.
Multiple Agencies Respond
The crash prompted a large emergency response. Agencies assisting at the scene included the Leander Fire Department, Cedar Park Fire Department, Pflugerville Fire (Travis County ESD 2), Austin-Travis County EMS, and STAR Flight. Photos released by the emergency services district showed the yellow bus lying on its side in a wooded area, its windows shattered and debris scattered nearby.
An official with the Texas Department of Public Safety told NBC News that the roadway had a slight curve where the incident occurred. The exact cause of the crash remains under investigation.
District and Community React
Leander Independent School District Superintendent Bruce Gearing described the bus driver as “well experienced” and noted that the route primarily serves elementary school students.
“This part of our Leander ISD family has been through so much already this summer with the floods, and this tragedy this afternoon is really breaking our hearts,” Gearing told ABC News. “We want each of those students and their families to know that our prayers are with them, our thoughts are with them, and we will do everything that we can in our power to support them.”
Third Texas School Bus Crash This Week
Wednesday’s rollover marks the third school bus crash in Texas in just three days. Earlier in the week, two Cleveland Independent School District buses were involved in separate incidents. On Monday, one bus flipped on its side into a ditch, and on Wednesday morning another Cleveland ISD bus rolled over, also ending up on its side.
Authorities have not confirmed whether there are any connections between the crashes, but the back-to-back incidents have raised renewed concerns about student transportation safety in the state.
For now, Leander ISD officials say their focus remains on supporting the injured students, their families, and the school community as the investigation continues.