Bus Driver Seriously Hurt, Students OK After I-75 Crash

MONROE (WWJ) - It was a traumatic experience for a group of Southfield kids Friday morning.

The young students were on their way to a football tournament out-of-state when their bus collided with an overturned tanker laying along I-75 in Monroe County.

There were four buses in the fleet and a bus carrying dozens of 9 and 10-year-olds encountered the truck at around 4 a.m.  on the southbound side of the freeway near Newport Road.

Jayhawks president Anthony Chambers said the driver was able to keep control of the bus and get it off the road and stop it.
The driver was seriously hurt in the accident.

"The only question she asked was were the kids OK, were the kids OK," Chambers said. "She's a phenonomal driver and but not for her actions this could have been a very deadly situation."

A few of the children were hospitalized for minor injuries, but later released. The group continued its trek to the tournament in Tennessee and has since arrived safely.

Reporting live from the scene early in the, WWJ's Mike Campbell said it appeared the tanker truck slammed into the guard rail. Monroe County Sheriff's Sgt. John Plath said the tanker may have crashed while swerving to avoid a deer.

The freeway was closed for about two hours, prompting mile-long backups, but has since reopened.

For the latest from the roads, stay with WWJ Newsradio 950 during Traffic and Weather on the 8s, 24-hours a day. Check for recent traffic incidents now on the CBS Detroit Traffic Page.