Photo Provided by: Allison Long/The Kansas City Star
A school bus containing 32 female sixth grade students from Pembroke Hill flipped around 1 p.m. this afternoon in Bonner Springs, according to local news stations.
The crash occurred at the intersection of K-7 and K-32 highways and has been reported to have caused at least 23 injuries: 22 students as well as the driver. Causes of the crash have not yet been confirmed.
The students were on their way to an annual sixth grade camp at Tall Oaks Conference Center in Linwood, Kansas when the bus rolled onto its side, injuring many on board.
Officials say nine students were transported to the University of Kansas Medical Center, five to Overland Park Regional Center, five to Providence Medical Center, and four to Children’s Mercy.
Johnson County Fire told news stations that four of the cases were described as serious, five were said to be moderate and the rest described as minor, while the male bus driver suffered the most severe of the injuries.
KMBC News reports the University of Kansas Medical Center spokeswoman Jill Chadwick, said it was possible that a few students could experience concussions or brain injuries.
A second bus carrying male students from Pembroke to Tall Oaks was following the bus that flipped. No students on the second bus were injured. Students without injuries, from both buses are being picked up by their parents at Bonner Springs High School.
East senior Katie Peterson is a babysitter for one of the sixth grade girls involved in the crash. She initially found out about the crash through social media. Concerned, Peterson reached out to the student’s mom.
“I found out about [the crash] over twitter, and I was shocked,” Peterson said. “I turned on my TV and it was on CNN and Fox 4. I just texted her mom and asked if [the girl] was okay, and she said she would call me back as soon as she could.”
Peterson is still awaiting a response from the student’s mother about the condition of her child.
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