RANDOM LAKE, Wis. — Eight Random Lake School District students were injured following a school bus accident, according to Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office.
Officials said at around 7:23 a.m. Monday, they responded to a crash between a 2018 black Jeep Grand Cherokee and a school bus on County Trunk Highway E and Jay Road in the Town of Fredonia.
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After an initial investigation, the Sheriff’s Office said that the Jeep was traveling eastbound on Jay Road and failed to stop at a stop sign on County Trunk Highway E. The Jeep went though the intersection and struck the bus in the center of the driver’s side. The bus had been traveling northbound on County Trunk Highway E.
Upon being hit, the bus spun 180 degrees and overturned onto its passenger side, coming to a final resting point in the ditch. The Jeep also sustained “significant front-end damage.”
There were 36 students on the bus during the accident, ranging in age from elementary to high school. Officials said those on the bus were evacuated through the roof and rear emergency exits.
A total of eight students had minor and some serious injuries. They were taken to local hospitals. None of the injuries were life-threatening. The driver of the school bus, 53-year-old Mark Hall, also had minor injuries and was taken to the hospital.
There were two people inside the Jeep, including driver 32-year-old Becka Stevenson and passenger 33-year-old Luis Vargas. Both had minor injuries and were taken to the hospital.
The district earlier on Monday also posted on Facebook about the incident, saying that students who weren’t injured were being picked up by parents. Some were brought to local hospitals by their parents later as a precaution.
The district said school counselors are available for support.
The Sheriff’s Office said that it will issue a citation to the Jeep driver for failure to yield from a stop sign. Further investigation into the crash is pending, and it said it will work jointly with Random Lake School District.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.