The Associated Press
BRADENTON, Fla. — Fifteen students were taken to hospitals with minor injuries after one school bus rear-ended another in the Tampa Bay-area, officials said.
According to Florida Highway Patrol, one school bus failed to stop in time to avoid rear-ending another bus that had stopped in Bradenton traffic Monday afternoon.
The bus that got hit had 48 students on board. The other bus had 26 students board.
Troopers say eight students from the bus that got hit and seven students from the other bus were taken to hospitals with minor injuries.
Trooper Kenn Watson tells The Herald that the driver of the bus that caused the collision will be cited for careless driving.
“Although the buses were not going that fast, the impact still caused children to be thrown from their seats and children to be covered in broken glass,” Watson said. “All the injuries were superficial.”
All students complaining of headaches and other ailments were taken to hospitals, said Manatee County School District spokesman Steve Valley. Uninjured students were not let off the buses until after medical personnel checked them and their parents or guardians arrived at the scene.
Some parents said they initially received a message from the school district saying the buses were running late. A second message alerted parents that there had been an accident.