Student describes "surreal" rollover school bus crash in Howard County
BALTIMORE - Several middle school students were taken to the hospital after a Howard County school bus overturned in Columbia, Howard County Public Schools officials said.
The bus, carrying 19 students from Hammond Middle School, crashed Thursday afternoon in the 7300 block of Old Columbia Road. A spokesperson with the district said four students - two boys and two girls between 11 and 14 years old - were taken to the Johns Hopkins Children's Center for treatment.
A spokesperson from Johns Hopkins said two more were taken to Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center.
"It really felt surreal," said student Zach Delang. "The bus started shaking, like really violently, and then swerved to the right."
Delang, a student at Hammond Middle School, told WJZ he was on the bus with his brother.
He spoke exclusively with WJZ about the scary bus crash.
"We had to open up the door on the roof and everybody got out eventually," Delang said.
Howard County Public Schools said the students not taken to the hospital were picked up by their parents.
None of the injuries appear to be life-threatening, officials said.
Police said the bus was traveling northbound when it left the roadway for an unknown reason. Speed is being investigated in the crash.
"Definitely you could see on their faces the stress and just trying to put together what just happened to them," parent Sylwia Delang said.
Families say they are thankful the situation wasn't worse.
"I'm just thankful, so thankful that they're sitting here with us, staring back and that they're doing OK for the most part," parent Herman Delang said.
Friday is a professional learning day, school system wide, in Howard County.
As for where this investigation stands, police say the driver could face a citation.
The driver works for a contractor, Zum, used by the Howard County Public School system.
Zum came under fire earlier in the school year for a breakdown in nearly two dozen bus routes stemming from driver callouts.
The company said in a statement," Getting students to and from school safely is our number one priority. We are working closely with the county and authorities to investigate the accident."
