PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Multiple people were hospitalized Thursday morning after a school bus collided with a pickup truck just south of Greenacres, according to Palm Beach County Fire Rescue.
The crash happened around 6:35 a.m. at the intersection of West Lantana Road and Plantation Boulevard in front of Palm Beach Plantation. About 10 students of Dr. Joaquín García High School were on the bus at the time, and none of them were taken to the hospital.
However, all four people in the truck suffered serious injuries and required rescue efforts to free them from the wreckage. They were all taken to a local trauma center.
Nineteen different fire rescue units responded to the scene. Fire rescue crews arrived within four minutes of the initial 911 call and began treating the trapped victims even before they could be freed from the vehicle.
"The last person was out of the vehicle at about 7:20 a.m., so it was an extensive extrication," said Capt. Tom Reyes with Palm Beach County Fire Rescue. "There were other people that came out sooner than that, but this was this was a significant incident. We had our special operations teams come here, and they went right to work working on it. More importantly, we did start with patient care even before they were out of the vehicle."
The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. Reyes said it's unclear what led to the collision.
The eastbound lanes of Lantana Road near Plantation Boulevard remain closed while authorities conduct their investigation, with westbound traffic reduced to two lanes. Officials advise drivers to avoid the area for the remainder of the morning as the investigation is expected to be lengthy.
The school district has contacted the families of all students involved. Below is the statement sent to all families of Dr. Joaquín García High School:
"Good morning, Dr. Joaquín García High School families, I am writing to inform you that Bus CO48 was transporting ten students when it was involved in a traffic crash this morning near Lantana Road and Hagen Ranch Road.
All ten students on board are safe and did not require medical intervention on scene of the crash. They were transported to school and met directly by our school nurse to check on their well-being when they arrived at school.
Emergency medical services and School Police responded to the school to assist.
Because experiencing an incident like this can be unsettling, counseling resources and support services are available on campus today for any student who may need to speak about their experience."
