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Several Waldron Students Recovering Following School Bus Crash

WALDRON (KFSM)- Several Waldron students are recovering after police said their school bus was involved in an accident with another vehicle Friday afternoon (Ma...

WALDRON (KFSM)- Several Waldron students are recovering after police said their school bus was involved in an accident with another vehicle Friday afternoon (May 1).

According to Arkansas State Police, the crash happened at U.S. Highway 71B and State Highway 250 at approximately 3:40 p.m. Police said Mark Dye, the driver of the Waldron Public School Bus, was traveling northbound along U.S. 71 and attempted to make a u-turn at the Highway 250 intersection where he was struck by a vehicle driven by Mollie Helton of Waldron.

5NEWS obtained two 911 calls made after the accident. The first is made by Dye himself and the second is made by another person.

Kristie McDaniel is Heaven McDaniel's mother. The seventh grader was of one of the children who was on board the school bus. Her mother said she had to be taken by helicopter to Little Rock.

"The only thing that was going through my head was if my baby was going to be okay," Mcdaniel said. "She had a concussion, she messed up the C3, C4 and C5  [vertebrae] in her neck and it kind of messed her ankle up. A lot of nausea and vomiting."

Amanda Cheeseman said her daughter was injured in the crash as well.

"My daughter has a concussion right now," she said. "She's been home for the last two days. I've had to take her to two hospitals."

Both McDaniel and Cheesman are wondering who will pay for the medical bills and said they hope that gets cleared up quickly.

"I'm just ready for a fast recovery," McDaniel said.

Waldron School District Superintendent Gary Wayman said the driver is not transporting any children for now, but hasn't been suspended or fired. Wayman also said the driver had been involved in prior accidents.

Dye declined to comment.

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