14 Children Escape Serious Injury After School Bus Crashes Into Parked Vehicles in Texas
By: HERVOX News
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| A school bus carrying 14 children crashed into parked vehicles in Odessa, Texas. |
ODESSA, TEXAS . Fourteen children escaped serious injury after a school bus veered off the roadway and crashed into several parked vehicles in Odessa, Texas.
The incident occurred Thursday morning near the La Promesa Apartments, where the Ector County Independent School District bus was carrying the students.
Video captured by a nearby home security camera shows the bus leaving the roadway and striking vehicles parked near the apartment complex. The impact caused significant damage to several vehicles, but authorities said no student, pedestrian or other person on the street suffered serious injuries.
According to Odessa police, the bus driver failed to control the vehicle's speed before it left the roadway. The bus first struck a parked trailer before continuing into a private parking area, where it hit additional vehicles.
The driver was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and was later released. Police cited the driver for failure to control speed. There has been no official indication in the reports reviewed that alcohol was involved.
The school district said the driver has more than 20 years of experience driving school buses. ECISD also stated that its drivers must meet licensing and certification requirements, including 42 hours of behind-the-wheel training before being hired.
The driver has been placed on leave while the school district conducts its own investigation. ECISD said that if the driver is cleared to return to work, the driver will undergo additional training and recertification before operating a school bus again.
The dramatic footage has since attracted widespread attention online, with viewers expressing relief that the children escaped the crash without serious injuries.
Some social-media users have also questioned why several vehicles appeared to be parked near the roadway. However, the reports reviewed do not establish that the positioning of those vehicles caused the crash.
For the 14 children aboard the bus, what could have become a devastating accident ended without reported serious injuries.