Eleven elementary school children were injured when a sedan crashed into their school bus in Pierce County Friday morning.
A Franklin Pierce School District bus was taking 32 children between kindergarten and fifth grade to Collins Elementary School when the bus collided with a sedan at the intersection of 128th Street East and Waller Road East around 9:30 a.m., said Pierce County sheriff’s office spokesperson Carly Cappetto.
When the bus braked, “the kids flew into the seat in front of them pretty hard” because there were no seat belts on the bus, Cappetto said.
Ten had minor head and neck injuries and were taken to the hospital, Cappetto said. One of the 10 may have serious injuries, she said, but authorities have yet to confirm. The 11th student injured was taken by their parent.
The sedan was at fault in the crash, but it is unknown what led to the collision, Cappetto said. The bus had the right of way at a green light.
Air bags deployed in the sedan, and the driver was also taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
The rest of the children who were uninjured were taken to school on another bus, Cappetto said. School administrative staff showed up to help along with first responders from several agencies.
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