32 kindergartners shaken in crash
Injuries are minimal; driver whose vehicle hit bus is hospitalized
By Andy Paras
RIDGEVILLE — Chanel Glenn swooped down and hugged her daughter Tynasia on Thursday, just hours after the 6-year-old was one of 32 kindergartners shaken up in a head-on bus crash that injured a Dorchester County employee driving the other vehicle.
The Post and Courier
This Dorchester District 4 school bus was involved in a head-on collision Thursday morning on U.S. Highway 78 near U.S. Highway 178 with an SUV driven by a county employee, who was hospitalized.
The reunion was one of dozens inside the hallways of Summerville Medical Center.
The children, all students at Harleyville-Ridgeville Elementary School, had been on their way to see "The Wiz" at Charleston Southern University.
Instead, they made do with a field trip to the hospital by eating ice cream and coloring once they were checked out.
Glenn and her husband, Tyrone, doted on their daughter for a while, relieved that she suffered only a small bump above her eye.
"The car swerved to the left and we crashed," Tynasia explained the situation to her parents. "I was sleeping."
Authorities said the crash happened just after 9 a.m. on U.S. Highway 78 near the split with U.S. Highway 178 when a county vehicle crossed the center line.
County Administrator Jason Ward identified the driver as Joe Simmons, superintendent for public works in the solid waste division.
Authorities said Simmons was driving the county Blazer westbound on U.S. Highway 78 when it crossed the median and sideswiped a Mitsubishi.
The Blazer kept going and struck the bus, said Lance Cpl. Bob Beres of the S.C. Highway Patrol.
Simmons was airlifted to Medical University Hospital and listed in fair condition Thursday.
A woman and her daughter in the Mitsubishi also were taken to a hospital with minor injuries, authorities said.
Hospital officials said the worst injuries among the children were bumps and bruises.
All the children were out and walking at the scene but were taken to the hospital in another bus as a precaution.
The school bus does not have seat belts.
Makayla Dalton had glass in her hair, but that was about it. The 5-year-old was as energetic as ever when her parents picked her up at the hospital.
"I think we were more sick about it than anything," Makayla's mother said.
Tynasia was still a little shaken when her parents picked her up. The girl said she doesn't want to ride the bus again.
Her mother said it was a horrific feeling to know that her child was in a wreck.
A friend of hers on another school bus called her at work.
"I don't even think I clocked out," she said.
Reach Andy Paras at 745-5891 or aparas@postandcourier.com.
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jerseylegal (anonymous) says...
Well, why was this Simmons guy driving like an idiot?
March 7, 2008 at 7:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jca (anonymous) says...
so what charges is this frigging official facing he needs to be charged and theres no mention of charges if i was one of those kids parents and no charges ger filed i would be suing this jerk
government official or not he needs to follow the laws of the land and if not he needs to be charged. he was fleeing the scene of the first accident he caused two in one intersection charge this reckless careless jerk
March 7, 2008 at 8 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theronce (anonymous) says...
Is there any particular safety reason that public school buses do not have seat belts? This has got to be one of the most unsafe ways for children to travel on the highways.
March 7, 2008 at 8:41 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
scott68111 (anonymous) says...
First off I hope all involved a speedy and complete recovery, sounds like all the kids involved are fine and OK, thats great!!!
JCA---You are part of what is a major problem with society today---your kid gets a bump on the head and everyone starts looking for Bill Green's phone number to sue!!! This is a poor commentary on what our society has become, "me, my kid, my family, my dog, my ferrett got in an accident, now I am going to get rich off it at someone elses expense!!!" How pathetic is that!!! Oh forgive me the one girl said she didn't want to ride the bus again---I bet there is a very similar reaction when she falls off her bike the first time, that my good people is called part of growing up, not a life changing event!!!
And another thing, you might ought to reread the article or check your reading comprehension abilities, like presto said, it was ONE accident involving THREE vehicles, no mention of fleeing in there, great imagination, oh yeah, that helps when you call Bill Green to get your money from the accident FAST, it looks better if the other guy was fleeing the scene of another accident!!!
March 7, 2008 at 11:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
forget (anonymous) says...
It was an accident. The children are fine. None of their parents need to sue anybody. Oh well, the children are shaken up a bit. Children are tougher than people think. they'll be fine. So the child says she doesn't want to ride the bus anymore, mine used to say that about the bike when she fell, the rollerskates, the skateboard, pogo stick, etc. Put her back on the bus. Accidents are a part of life, we all have them in some form or another. If she had a car accident with her parents, is she not going to ride in the car ever again? Her parents need to be reasonable. I'm glad they're alright, but lets put the whole thing in perspective.
March 7, 2008 at 12:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
RTC (anonymous) says...
Has anyone given thought to maybe Mr. Simmons lost consciusness for some reason? He could be a diabetic or suffered a stroke or heart attack. That might be why his vehicle kept on going. Who knows?
March 7, 2008 at 12:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Beerkrugul (anonymous) says...
Does anyone know if mr simmons had medical problem before the accident?
March 7, 2008 at 12:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jca (anonymous) says...
he sideswiped a car and kept moving at a high enough speed to damage that bus use your frigging breaks and stop the car hes a moron an deserves jail time for this he could have killed those young children
i am not sue happy but those kids deserve something from this
my son was trapped on a bus recently due to a robber fleeig into my area he has ptsd and so will these kids who is gonna pay for all that therapy these kids are traumatized probably for life
March 7, 2008 at 1:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Girleygirl (anonymous) says...
RTC- I was about to say the same thing since it sounds like he is still in the hospital.
I am happy no one was injured terribly, a little shocken up but I'm happy everyone will live.
March 7, 2008 at 1:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
forget (anonymous) says...
jca - your child was not "trapped" on the bus. He was held there to protect him. Be grateful they cared enough. You want monetary compensation because of this? Those children and/or their parents from yesterday should receive monetary compensation? You are one of the reasons Bill Greene is a name we all know. Wouldn't doubt that he is in your speed dial.
Those children are getting something out of yesterday. They learned about bus evacuation, traffic safety, and a little about how a hospital works. Important lessons we all learn at some points in our lives. They also learned that sometimes things happen that you can't do anything about. And that sometimes bad things happen, but then there's always tomorrow.
March 7, 2008 at 1:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
forget (anonymous) says...
They are not going to need all kinds of therapy. They need their parents. It is a parents job to kiss the boo boos, and to talk to them about things that happen to them. Like this. If your child is that traumatized by a car accident and needs therapy, there were maybe other problems before this. Doubtful if he was traumatized by having to sit on the bus for a little extra time. If anything, he has an "exciting" story to tell on the playground.
March 7, 2008 at 1:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Booniechic (anonymous) says...
I'm glad to see everyone involved is o.k...this could have been alot worse! On another note, does anybody know how I could make a complaint against a bus driver in Dorchester County? I want to make it clear that I'm not assuming any fault by the bus driver by all means, i just have a bone to pick with a bus driver around the Ashley Phosphate area.
March 7, 2008 at 1:28 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
highclass (anonymous) says...
Booniechic call the school they will tell you who to call. Like many people have said these children will be fine. Stop trying to make mountains outta mole hills. If you sue the county they are only going to raise taxes anyway. So your only hurting the taxpayers of Dorchester County.
March 7, 2008 at 2:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
scott68111 (anonymous) says...
"i am not sue happy but those kids deserve something from this"
JCA---So they "deserve" something from this!!! The entitled society strikes again, you or anyone are not entitled to anything, you are the reason we pay more in insurance than we need to, I will give your entitlement to your opinion but that does not cost me a thing, you and Bill Green cost me money. PTSD from being safely kept on a bus while the police risked their lives to catch a violent felon, give me a break!!! Be a parent and kiss the boo boo and tell your kids to get up off the ground and keep moving!!! You were probably that kid that got picked on by the school bus bullies the Mommy Mafia are so afraid of and force them to drive their kids to school rather than put them on the big ole nasty yellow school bus!!!
March 7, 2008 at 3:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
carolinamommyof4 (anonymous) says...
jca- obviously if the driver were in his right state of mind, human instinct would have told him to hit the brakes. Something had to happen in his vehicle that caused him to do so. If it were pure stupidity, then he would have braked. The fact that he didn't tells those of us with deductive reasoning (a brain) that something was wrong.
What do those kids deserve? I am so very sorry that had to be scared and learn a life's lesson, but nobody owes them any money. Now, my opinion would change had it been severe injuries.
Why would your child have PTSD? I work for the school system and can call bs on this one. The driver probably made up some story to calm the children. We as professionals do whatever we can to keep the kids calm and make them feel safe. He probably freaked out when you did. The article pretty much states the kids were happy and had ice cream and colored.
I will keep my stereotypes to myself...but I have my own opinion of exactly who you are.
March 7, 2008 at 3:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
RTC (anonymous) says...
jca, I don't usually correct people's typing on the forums, but really can you not use run on sentences in almost all of your posts? It makes it difficult for people to read.
Don't assume the worst about Mr. Simmons either, as he is in the hospital, and the paper has not said how badly he was injured. The man had to be airlifted, so chances are he was very critical at the time.
The poor man has already been practically called a criminal by some, and no one knows why he crossed the center line.
The kids are going to be fine, and like many have said, if they would put seatbelts on buses no children would go flying out of their seats.
It is illegal not to wear a seatbelt in an automobile, so why in the world is this allowed on our school buses?
March 7, 2008 at 4:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
walleyedwoman1215 (anonymous) says...
jca, are you kidding or did I misunderstand you? Your son was held on a school bus for his safety during the aftermath of a crime, and now has PTSD and needs years of therapy? And so do his little friends? Sweet Jesus, I am ROTFL.
March 7, 2008 at 8:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rollo (anonymous) says...
Well, where to start? I'm looking at a pretty sh---y photo of the bus and wondering how most of the damage appears to be at @ the roof height of a Chevy Blazer. Like I said, it's a pretty sh---y picture (thanks Brad). But it looks to me like the blazer may have been airborne at the instant of collision. I'd also like to see Mr Simmons cell phone records for that period of time. Might he have been trying to text someone when he lost control?
March 7, 2008 at 11:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jca (anonymous) says...
listen jerks my son was the only child left on the bus. he and the driver had a cop standing at the door of the bus. his driver was upset and traumatized as well/ i am not suing that would be stupid and a waste of time. i said those parents of those kids need to sue, this jerk still hasnt been chARGED HIS CONDITION IS FAIR IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN.
my child has ptsd and is afraid to ride the bus after his incident. his doctor said he will get over it after a lot of counseling my son wont need years but those 32c children probably will.
i have been in and injured in a bus crash it took me a long time to get over it. specially since the girl beside me died a few days later from a broken back. i was in middle school. my son like these kids are just getting started with school think before you attack
March 8, 2008 at 9:12 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
vinpenny (anonymous) says...
Just wondering.....has anyone else noticed that not one person, local media included, has asked or reported how the bus driver is doing?
If you look at the picture of the bus you can see that there is NOTHING but glass seperating the driver of the bus from the oncoming traffic. Why has no one even reported on the condition of the driver? Even if he/she walked away without a scratch(which seems highly unlikely)shouldn't something be said at least about the condition of the driver?
March 8, 2008 at 9:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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