HOUSTON – A vehicle struck a school bus after running a red light, sending the bus into a ditch in northwest Harris County, according to the Aldine Independent School District.
The wreck happened around 8:30 a.m. Friday on Veterans Memorial near Frick.
Police identify the driver as Leobardo Ayala Alvarez, 36.
The school bus was on its way to drop off students attending Wilson Intermediate School.
Aldine ISD officials say the students are boys and are special needs students in fifth and sixth grade.
They were wearing seatbelts, officials said.
Deputies said Alvarez ran a red light and hit the Aldine ISD bus. The bus rolled off the road into a ditch, landed on its side and severely damaged the front end.
The district said at least four fifth sixth grade special needs students were on board. The children were not injured, but were taken to Houston Northwest Medical Center as a precaution.
"This is of course a tragic accident. You don't ever want to see things like this happen, but everyone has been taken care if quickly and safely," said Abbey Lee, from Harris County Emergency Corps, the EMS company that rushed the children and adults to the hospital.
The bus aide suffered minor injuries, and the driver of the bus has a broken arm. They were both transported to the hospital and should be released on Friday.
"The truck driver left his license plate behind when he took off," said Lt Kevin Northey, Aldine ISD Police Department.
"That's pretty common for the front grill to be ripped off in a collision like this," said Northey.
Moments later, Aldine ISD police ran the vehicle's plates and tracked down Alvarez at his home. He was taken into custody and charged with felony hit-and-run.
The four boys on board the bus were released to their parents at 11:30 Friday morning, officials said.