JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A tow truck struck a school bus carrying first and second graders near a Jacksonville railroad crossing Wednesday, just days after a separate crash in the same area sent four kindergartners to the hospital.
The latest crash involved an STA bus transporting students from John E. Ford Elementary School back from a field trip to the Jacksonville Zoo. One adult and eight students were taken to the hospital for evaluations. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Both incidents happened at railroad crossings on Zoo Parkway, less than a week apart.
Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier described the impact the crashes have had on families.
“Our parents, unfortunately, have been severely impacted, and more importantly, some of the children have been severely impacted as well,” Bernier said. “The only word I can use is a tragic situation.”
When asked about alternative routes to the zoo for future field trips, Bernier acknowledged the challenge.
“It’d be really difficult to go to the zoo without getting on Zoo Parkway, but we have looked at the other routes and other ways to go,” he said, adding that some decisions fall under the authority of other government agencies.
News4JAX reached out to transportation companies partnered with DCPS, including STA and Durham School Services, about the two crashes.
In a statement, STA said all buses serving Duval County Public Schools are equipped with seatbelts and that students are expected to wear them. The company said it follows the same safety protocols for field trips as it does for daily service.
DCPS Chief of Police Jackson Short urged drivers to pay closer attention when sharing the road with school buses, especially near railroad crossings.
“They need to be aware that school buses are required by state law, if they have any students on the bus, to stop at a railroad crossing and look both ways and listen for any trains,” Short said. “If our drivers were more aware of the fact that a school bus is probably going to stop at a railroad crossing, I think that would make our drivers more prepared to get ready for that stop.”
In response to both crashes, DCPS said it is working on a public education campaign focused on laws governing vehicles around school buses at railroad crossings and the importance of heightened vigilance in those situations.