Columbia-Brazoria ISD bus driver, student hospitalized after crashing into dump truck

BRAZORIA COUNTY, Texas – A Columbia-Brazoria ISD bus driver and student were hospitalized after a crash Thursday morning.

SEE ALSO: Fort Bend ISD school bus with students onboard involved in crash in SW Houston

District officials say a secondary route school bus crashed into a dump truck over at a construction zone on CR 353 and Highway 36 around 6:45 a.m.

Initially, it was reported that 21 students were on the school bus, but district officials later confirmed with our Brittany Jeffers there were 34 students on the bus. Two people (a student and bus driver) were evaluated for injuries and airlifted to a hospital.

All other students were evaluated for injuries, and were released to their parents or on their way to school, the district added. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) blocked several lanes on Highway 36 from FM 522 to CR 354 as a result.

Columbia High School Junior, Paul Fulkerson, was on the school bus, sound asleep, when it collided with a dump truck on the way to school Thursday morning.

“I was asleep and then all I heard was the screeching of the brakes and we hit the dump truck. I woke up and I heard everybody saying get out, get off the bus! I saw that it was smoking. I thought it was going to catch on fire. Everybody was trying to get out real quick,” said Fulkerson.

According to DPS officials, the crash appears to have started from some confusion with the construction site before the crash happened.

DPS says the school bus was traveling north and the dump truck was traveling south. Some of the workers were using stop and slow signs as traffic moved through. The workers were stopping traffic to allow the dump truck to back up but officials say the school bus driver thought the worker was holding a “slow” sign. Dash cam video from the school bus showed the driver disregarded the stop signs.

Witnesses nearby, heard the loud crash.

“Just a big bang and screaming and then more screaming. And we jumped up to see what was going on,” said Devan Sophia.  “We looked up and people were bailing out of their vehicles and helping the bus driver and the kids get off,” said Jay Gubert.

Fulkerson said a student was able to open the back hatch in the back of the bus, allowing students to escape.

“Somebody, that was behind the wreck had got out and was helping another student get everybody off the bus safely,” said Fulkerson.

When Fulkerson got of the bus, he saw the dump truck lodged into the front corner of the school bus. Firefighters made their way inside, helping the stuck driver and a 15 year old girl. It is unclear the extent of their injuries. Life flight helicopters showed up. The student and bus driver were flown to Memorial Hermann Hospital. Hours later, the bus was towed away from the scene. Although wrecked with nerves, Fulkerson and his fellow students made it back to school.

DPS is investigating the crash. At this time, charges have not been filed.

This crash comes nearly a week after a driver hit a Fort Bend ISD school bus on Fondren and Chasewind in southwest Houston. Fortunately, no injuries were reported during that crash.