FHP: 14 students suffer minor injuries in Union County bus crash

Driver looked in mirror at student on bus, missed stop sign, FHP says

Union County school bus involved in crash (Courtesy of Union County Sheriff's Office)

UNION COUNTY, Fla. – Fourteen students were taken to hospitals as a precaution Thursday morning after their school bus crashed into a ditch in Union County, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

According to the FHP crash report, the bus driver looked in his rearview mirror at a student standing up on the bus and missed a stop sign at the intersection of Southwest 72nd Street and County Road 796. When the driver glanced back at the road, he tried to stop, but crashed into a ditch, a DOT sign and a fence, troopers said.

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No one on the bus, including the 49-year-old driver, was seriously injured, FHP said.

Three students were taken to Lake Butler Hospital and 11 others went to UF Health Gainesville as a precaution.

According to the Union County Sheriff’s Office, school officials responded to the scene, along with UCSO personnel, FHP troopers and paramedics.

Deputies said all parents who needed to come to the scene were notified.

***Traffic crash - School Bus*** UCSO, FHP and EMS rescue units are on scene of a single vehicle (Union Co School Bus)...

Posted by Union County Sheriff's Office on Thursday, September 3, 2020

About the Author:

A Jacksonville native and proud University of North Florida alum, Francine Frazier has been with News4Jax since 2014 after spending nine years at The Florida Times-Union.