JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A woman who was among the bystanders who rushed to help after a school bus full of kindergartners was rear-ended by a semi Thursday morning told News4JAX she was thankful the injuries weren’t more severe.
Four San Pablo Elementary School kindergartners had to be taken to the hospital after their bus, which was taking them to a field trip at the zoo, was hit by a semi as it was stopped at a railroad crossing.
Florida Statute 316.159 says school buses have to stop within 50 feet, but not less than 15 feet, of train tracks and look and listen for oncoming trains.
The impact crumpled the back of the bus and caused significant damage to the tractor-trailer.
The mother of one of the children who was hospitalized told News4JAX that as of Friday, her son was home and resting.
Several people stopped to help after witnessing the crash, and one of them told News4JAX that she was on another school bus and jumped off to help the students, including some who were injured.
“I am grateful that all of the students, staff and driver on that bus, along with the truck driver, are OK,” said the woman, who asked not to be identified. “The situation could have been much worse, but miraculously it wasn’t.”
The crash happened around 10:30 a.m. Thursday on Zoo Parkway near Imeson Park Boulevard, shutting down the road briefly until the vehicles could be moved to another area off the roadway.
Parents said they never imagined their child’s school bus would be hit by a semi-truck, and the damage left behind shows just how serious the collision was.
When News4JAX arrived on the scene, Durham School Services, their safety team, and paramedics were checking the children as parents arrived to pick them up.
Durham School Services shared a statement about the crash.
Thursday morning, while our bus was transporting students and stopped at a railroad crossing, it was struck from behind by a semi-truck.
Local authorities responded to the scene and evaluated all passengers. We understand that four students were transported for further evaluation and treatment. Our concern remains with the safety of our students, and our thoughts are with the students and passengers that were impacted by the incident. We are fully cooperating with local authorities.
Durham School Services
A parent who was also a chaperone was waiting for her 6-year-old daughter to arrive at the zoo when she learned her daughter was on that bus.
She said a teacher notified her right away, then she saw the images circulating online.
“I was like freaking out,” Axia Booker said. “She was on the bus, and it hit them. She like went forward, hit her head on the window, but she was fine. She said she was crying for me, but other than that, she seems to be doing Ok.”
As families walked past our crews on Thursday after picking up their students, children could be heard saying, “Mom, my head hurts.”
In the aftermath of the traumatic incident, parents are encouraged to watch for signs of physical injury, including any pain or bruising, behavioral changes and possible emotional distress, as adrenaline can mask those symptoms at the time.
San Pablo Elementary’s principal shared the following statement with families:
In moments like this, the strength of our community truly matters. Thank you for keeping our kindergarten students in your thoughts and prayers following today’s bus accident.
While the situation could have been far worse, it was understandably a frightening experience for our young students. I know many of you are holding your children a little closer today. I am in direct contact with the families of students who required medical transport. While I’m unable to share specific medical details, I am encouraged by the updates I’ve received regarding their condition and recovery. Please continue to keep these students and families in your thoughts. I will follow up next week with information about rescheduling the kindergarten field trip. In the meantime, I hope you have a safe and restful long weekend, and we look forward to welcoming our students back next week.
Principal Brown, San Pablo Elementary
News4JAX is working to learn more details about the crash, including details about the semi truck driver.