LITTLE FLOCK (KFSM) — More than a dozen Rogers School District students had to be treated for minor injuries Wednesday (Aug. 17) morning after the windows on their school bus broke during an accident in an apartment complex parking lot.
Fifteen of 41 students on board the bus suffered minor cuts when their school bus hit a steel beam that was sticking out of the back of a work truck in the parking lot of the Lost Springs apartment complex in Little Flock, according to Little Flock police. The accident happened around 7 a.m.
Rogers School District communications director Ashley Siwiec said as soon as the Mathias elementary principal found out she came to the scene to make sure everyone was ok.
“It’s not something that typically happens, so I think it surprised everyone. We just tried to respond the best we could and help those students.
Police said the steel beam was sticking six feet out of the truck and the bus driver did not see it when they were turning to exit the lot.
Little Flock Police Chief Jesse Martinez said the truck should have had a light or flag at the end of the pole and since it did not, the owner of that vehicle was cited. He said this can create dangerous situations.
“At the time of the morning the bus came by, so it was still fairly dark so it was difficult for him to see what he hit initially…that’s why these laws are put into place, it’s to protect other drivers if you are carrying a load like that,” said Martinez.
Some of the windows on the passenger side of the bus broke because of the impact leaving students with minor cuts, according to police.
The owner of the work truck was cited in the incident because it is illegal to have items sticking out out of the back of trucks without any sort of flag or marking to alert other drivers.
“It’s extremely important that bus drivers are conscious of what’s around them and care for the children but also be cautious of the way they are driving,” said Martinez.
