School bus driver, 2 students taken to hospital after crash
AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - We are learning new details on a crash involving an Aiken County school bus and an SUV that occurred on Monday afternoon.
Officials say the crash happened on Dragstrip Road around 3:50 p.m. and involved a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox and a 2023 Thomas Bus.
According to the South Carolina Highway Patrol, the SUV was traveling north on Drag Strip Road and the bus was traveling south.
The SUV traveled off the right side of the roadway and traveled back onto the roadway, where it collided with the school bus, according to highway patrol.
On Monday, we spoke with a worker at a Shell Gas station near the incident to learn more. om Jackson STEM Magnet Middle School and Silver Bluff High School when the bus was struck by another car.
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The driver of the other vehicle sustained “What appeared to be serious injuries and was transported for emergency medical care by ambulance,” according to school officials.
School officials say the bus driver and two high school students were also transported for medical care. The student injuries were minor.
Another bus was routed to the accident location to safely transport students home.
Given the severity of the crash and the injuries involved, school officials say counselors from Jackson and Silver Bluff are checking in with students on Tuesday.
On Monday, we spoke with a worker at a Shell Gas station near the incident to learn more.
“Oh, they were in a big hurry,” says Pete Fabisiak, a worker at the Shell gas station. “There were about four or five of them down there and two ambulances, and then the sheriff’s department, state patrols, first responders, everybody.”
All the children made it off the bus, according to reports, and parents were ed by the Aiken County School District.
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“I just sat there and thought, oh boy, I just hope nobody’s hurt really really bad,” Fabisiak says. “I don’t know how bad the injuries are or anything like that, so I’m just praying to God that everybody’s okay.”
Dragstrip Road was blocked until early evening while first responders were working on the accident.
“I don’t know how many kids are on the bus or if there weren’t any kids on the bus, but you start thinking, oh boy, that’s the worst that could happen,” says Fabisiak. “My heart goes out to all of them out there.”
When our crews left at 7 p.m., Beech Island Fire was still on scene.
At 8:30 p.m., we received word that the school bus had been towed away.
“It just makes me think about how precious life really is and how we take it for granted most of the time,” Fabisiak says. “And something like this reminds you it could be gone in a split second.”
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