16 students injured in Dale County bus crash
A total of 16 students were transported to local hospitals after a bus crash in southern Dale County Tuesday afternoon.
Dale County Superintendent Phillip Parker said bus 07-06 turned over on New Hope Road, just above Dale County High School in Midland City. He said New Hope Road is a dirt road and the bus turned over because of muddy conditions. The bus is laying on its side in a ditch.
The 911 call about the wreck was placed around 3:30 p.m. There were 49 students on the bus at the time of the crash.
Parker said the most severe injury appears to be a neck injury. Students are being transported to both Flowers Hospital and Southeast Alabama Medical Center.
Steve Pearce, an SAMC spokesman, said no students had been tranported to SAMC as of 4:30 p.m.
A Dothan Eagle reporter and photographer are on to the scene. More details will be posted to dothaneagle.com as they become available.
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Reader Reactions
Ah, I used to live out there when I was a kid, our bus driver went down that road every day and never ever had a problem…a little slide now and then, but nothing major. The problem is that that road was never intended to carry the heavy traffic it carries because of that land fill that got put in there. We used to ride up and down that dirt road and the only place it ever got the least bit rough back then was just past the hill headed towards the school, then you got into the washboardy road…but no the problem is a combination of too much heavy truck traffic, and going too fast on wet roads…
I am sure this driver did the best he or she could with the experience that they have.
Personally, I hate it that all the dirt roads are getting paved. I prefer them. Back when I could afford to put ridin’ money in my car, I would drive all the way over to Geneva County just to ride the dirt roads. I hate to see them all go. You just have to have some common sense.
Odd isn’t it the same day the Eagle shows a picture of the Governor with cheldren on a bus with seat belts this accident happens.!
That road has been used by schoolbuses at least since the ealy 90’s. it is slick, pot hole ridden and dangerous. I hope all these students are well. I also hope they system will reroute the buses.
MY CHILD RIDES THIS BUS AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT WAS INVOLVED IN HELPING YESTERDAY, AND THAT THIS ROAD IS A VERY BAD ROAD TO BEGIN WITH EVEN WHEN DRY IT IS STILL VERY ROUGH AND VERY MUDDY WHEN IT RAINS,MY CHILD WAS NOT INJURED AND I HOPE THAT THE ONES WHO WERE ARE OK, AND THANKS TO THE BUS DRIVER FOR DOING ALL THAT COULD BE DONE IN THIS SITUATION, THE BLAME LIES ON THAT ROAD,I HOPE NOW THAT MAYBE THAT ROAD WILL BE LOOKED AT AS A HARZARD AND MAYBE SOMETHING WILL BE DONE TO FIX IT,
ONCE AGAIN THANKS TO THE BUS DIVER AND LAW ENFORCEMENT,TEACHERS,EMA’S AND VOLUNTEERS FOR DOING WHAT YOU DO.
Why does this county still have DIRT roads,,,,,,,if our kids are gonna be traveling these roads,PAVE THEM,,The Lord was watching over these kids and driver,,,,thank goodness,,my thought and prayers go out to them,,,I know they were scared !!!
I pray that all the students and driver are going to be o.k.
I know this road as I use to be a bus driver that had this route in the mid 70’s. It is treachous, to say the least it is hard to drive even when dry, the bus driver I took over for had placed her bus in a ditch, this is not the first time out here. My brother also turned a car over on this muddy wet road.
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