LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. (WFLA) — Eight people were injured in a fiery crash Saturday night when an SUV slammed into a stopped school bus in Bradenton, causing a chain reaction of crashes.
The Florida Highway Patrol said three school buses from Fort Pierce Central High School, carrying 90 students and six adults, were stopped on the eastbound outside lane of State Road 70 at around 8:20 p.m. on Saturday. Parents at the scene told NewsNation affiliate WFLA that the students were returning from a band competition.
While the buses were stopped, a Ford Expedition slammed into the back of the last bus, pushing it into the one in front of it, and pushing that one into the one in front of it. In all, one bus was rear-ended by the Ford, and two buses were rear-ended by another bus.
The Ford sustained heavy damage and caught fire after the crash, FHP said. The driver, a 32-year-old Tampa woman, had minor injuries, but a 2-year-old passenger in the car was seriously injured and airlifted to the hospital.
Authorities did not offer any other details on why the buses were stopped or what caused the Ford to crash into them.
Six students on the buses were taken to a nearby hospital with minor injuries. None of the bus drivers were injured.