May 22, 2012 – Newton County, Ga. – A total of 64 students were sent to the hospital after 6 school buses and another vehicle collided on Interstate 20 on Saturday, May 19.
Fox 5 News reports that the accident happened in the westbound lanes of the interstate just west of Georgia Highway 11. A spokesperson for the Georgia State Patrol said that traffic was slow in the area of the accident because of a lane closure about half a mile ahead.
The first school bus slowed down with the traffic. The second school bus was unable to stop in time and crashed into the rear of the first bus, which caused a chain reaction collision that involved 4 more school buses and another vehicle.
One of the bus drivers, Angela Anthony, 44, was trapped in her bus and had to be cut free by emergency response crews before she was taken to the hospital.
The accident also injured 64 students. The students were taken to a local hospital to be treated for bruises, cuts, and other minor injuries. Most were treated and released within a few hours.
The 6 school buses were part of a caravan that was carrying about 320 people to Six Flags as a reward for the students’ high scores on their CRCT tests.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's 2010 Georgia Crash Statistics, there were 1,244 fatalities as a result of car accidents in Georgia.
As a service to the residents of Atlanta and surrounding areas, our firm will frequently publish blogs about local traffic accidents. We do this to raise awareness about the common types of motor vehicle accidents that occur in Georgia that may result in serious injury or traffic fatalities.
Common accidents include, but are not limited to:
- single-car accidents;
- accidents caused by hazardous road conditions; and
- accidents caused by aggressive driving or distracted drivers.
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