O'FALLON, Mo. — A school bus slid off the road, crashed into a ditch and tipped over onto its side in O’Fallon, Missouri on the first day of school in the area.
It happened on Hickory Hill Drive and Hickory Ridge Court a little after 7 a.m. It had been raining leading up to the crash.
The school bus was carrying 30 Fort Zumwalt North Middle School students. Five children and the school bus driver were injured. Two of the students and the driver were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
Three students who weren’t hurt told 5 On Your Side the ride to school through the hilly neighborhood area was normal at first.
“There were a few bumps. We thought that was just normal and then it started shaking a lot,” said Colin, a 12-year-old starting seventh grade Wednesday. “It was on a turn and the road was wet."
One of the students said he crawled out of a window. The middle schoolers told 5 On Your Side most students were able to get out of the bus on their own.
St. Charles County Police haven't released any details on how the crash happened. Fort Zumwalt School District officials said the bus slid on a slick blacktop.
This is the first day of school for Fort Zumwalt Public Schools.
“This is it! The first day of school. Buses are rolling and the 2018-2019 school year is underway,” the school district tweeted Wednesday morning about an hour before the crash. “Please allow extra time as our drivers learn their routes and our students get used to their stops. Remember #EveryMinuteCounts It’s going to be a great day!
