SUFFOLK, Va. — Suffolk police and fire and rescue responded to the scene of a single-vehicle crash involving a Suffolk Public School bus on Monday at 9:24 a.m.
"I heard a loud noise, wasn't sure what it was," said Lauren Violette who, along with her brother, helped get the kids off the bus.
The crash happened right in front of her family's home.
Early Monday afternoon, gouges, paint, and small pieces of glass from the crash could be seen on the road.
Divots from the crash could also be seen in the dirt on the side of the road.
“When I looked out, I saw the bus flip and then (it) slid a good ways," Violette recalled. "We just kind of helped them get out of the emergency exit. One of the little boys that was on the bus, he knew to kick them open...They were just really scared. They wanted their moms and dads.”
Suffolk fire & rescue personnel assessed, treated and transported the driver of the bus and 12 children who were on the bus at the time of the crash to area hospitals for further treatment, and police say all injuries are considered minor and non-life-threatening.
The bus was in route to Southwestern Elementary School at the time of the crash, according to police.
Violette said the bus driver also mentioned she was nine months pregnant.
“This is actually the second school bus that has wrecked (on our) road and we’ve had numerous vehicle accidents," said Violette.
No one from the school district was available for an interview Monday, but in a statement the school district said, in part, parents of the students involved in the crash were notified by school personnel.
As of Monday afternoon, the investigation into the cause of the crash was ongoing.
