ByWTOC Staff|August 12, 2020 at 4:48 PM EDT - Updated August 12 at 11:19 PM
ALMA, Ga. (WTOC) - A school bus was involved in a crash Wednesday afternoon in Alma, Ga.
According to Georgia State Patrol, a school bus carrying elementary through high school students was stopped on US 1 and unloading students in the outside lane when a box truck rear-ended the bus. They say it happened around 3:38 p.m.
The driver of the box truck has died, according to GSP.
Several students on the bus were taken to the hospital. GSP states that three students were flown via helicopter from the scene.
Governor Brian Kemp tweeted his condolences to the family of the driver who passed away.
GSP estimates the driver of the box truck was going between 50 and 60 mph.
Georgia State Patrol Corporal Shane Copeland says this was a high impact crash and troopers are trained to be very thorough and treat every accident as if a loved one was involved.
“We try to do the standard procedures on every crash and treat all crashes equally. However emotionally, you can’t help but to think I’ve got three children and you can’t help but to think of your three children on their bus back home and it does make it personal if that makes sense.”
Corporal Copeland also says now that children are heading back to school, drivers should pay very close attention on the road.
GSP is leading the investigation.
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