6 students injured in fiery, head-on school bus crash in Douglas County, district says
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. - A veteran New York firefighter is being credited with helping 18 students get off a school bus after being involved in a fiery head-on crash in Douglas County on Tuesday afternoon.
Douglas County Schools police say around 3 p.m. the driver of the gray Ford Windstar van appeared to lose control coming around the curve along Mount Vernon Road near the Abbey Lane subdivision off Cedar Trace Road. It crashed head-on into the bus, sparking a fire.
School police say Albert Rivenburgh, a former firefighter who lives along Mount Vernon, quickly ran to help. Rivenburgh was able to extinguish the fire, which had been filling the bus with smoke. He then turned his attention to getting the remaining 18 Shoals Elementary School students out safely.
"I was pleased to see that everyone knew the safety drill. They were so happy to see that everything was going to be OK and they were safe," he says.
Once the children were taken care of, he turned his attention to the driver of the van, but unfortunately, the driver died from their injuries.
"I am feeling extremely grateful and full right now. When you hear the word accident, you don’t know what to think. The students know what to do. Students did everything they learned in their bus evacuation drills precisely. They got off the bus safely and calmly", Wright says. "Our school family is happy our students are safe and with minimal injuries. We are all extremely blessed."
One student was rushed to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston. Five other students were also taken by their parents to the hospital. The school district says all injuries were minor.
The Georgia State Patrol is investigating the crash.
Troopers identified the driver of the van as Johnathan Wimpey.