At least one person died Tuesday morning when a school bus veered from the 610 Loop in southeast Houston. The two-vehicle wreck occurred about 7 a.m. on the eastbound frontage road of the South Loop near Telephone Road, according to Houston Department.(Cody Duty/Houston Chronicle photo)
HOUSTON (Houston Chronicle) – Two students died and two others were hurt along with their bus driver Tuesday morning when a school bus plunged from Loop 610 in southeast Houston.
The wreck occurred about 7 a.m. on the eastbound frontage road of the South Loop near Telephone Road, according to the Houston Police Department. It appears to be the first fatal public school bus accident in Texas since 2008, according to state data.
Witnesses say two girls and two boys were on the bus, along with the driver. One girl died while the injured students and bus driver were rushed to area hospitals, said Holly Huffman, a spokeswoman for the Houston Independent School District. The district confirmed a second female student died after being taken to a hospital.
Two students had been transported to Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center. A third had been taken to Texas Children’s Hospital. The driver was taken to Ben Taub Hospital.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragedy,” said HISD Superintendent Terry Grier, who is vacationing this week and who announced last week that he will resign in March. “I ask all of the HISD community to join me in praying for all of those involved.”
The bus, Huffman said, was headed to Furr High School at 520 Mercury Drive. Officials said four students were on the bus at the time of the crash. Counselors are available at the school to support students and staff.
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Police are still trying to nail down details about the wreck, said Victor Senties, an HPD spokesman However, Senties said, the driver of a Buick LaSabre told investigators she thought another vehicle near her was drifting into her lane. She veered away and hit the side of the bus. The bus driver apparently over-corrected and the bus careened from the overpass, Senties added.
Guardrails along the overpass were damaged when the bus plunged from the freeway and ended up below the bridge.
Senties said he did not know if the students were wearing safety belts. Most school buses are not equipped with the belts.
The driver of the LaSabre has been detained, but not charged, Senties said.
The wreck forced officials to block the freeway while crews cleared the scene. It was not known when the lanes would reopen.
HISD chief of staff Jason Spencer said he could not recall another fatal bus accident in the last five or so years.
Districts across the state reported no deaths from bus wrecks from 2008-09 to 2013-14, according to data from the Texas Education Agency. Statewide, there were 13,343 bus wrecks, with 70 serious injuries and 2,659 minor injuries during that time. More recent data was not available.
HISD reported 354 accidents, with 59 minor injuries and one serious injury during those six years, the state data show.
Gov. Greg Abbott released a statement regarding the crash.
“The State of Texas mourns the loss of Texas students today in a tragedy no parent should ever have to experience,” he said, in the statement. “Cecilia and I send our thoughts and prayers to the families affected by this heartbreaking incident, and I ask all Texans to support and keep Houston ISD and its community in their thoughts and prayers as they heal from this loss.”
Houston Chronicle reporters Dylan Baddour, Carol Christian, Craig Hlavaty and St. John Barned-Smith contributed to this report.
