Bus crash Beenleigh, Brisbane: Ten Calamvale Community College students and an adult are rushed to hospital af
An end-of-year school trip ended in a horrific smash between a bus and a truck that sent 11 people to hospital.
Students from Calamvale Community College in Brisbane[2]‘s west were heading to Gold Coast[3] theme park Wet’n’Wild when their bus, which was stopped on the side of the road, was struck by a truck on the M1 in Beenleigh at about 9.35am on Wednesday.
Police said the dump truck with a trailer ‘was travelling at speed’ and hit the rear of the bus.
Ten students and a teacher were rushed to hospital with injuries ranging from fractures, to facial, leg and chest injuries, to bruising.
The bus was taking students to an end-of-year trip to a Gold Coast theme park was hit from behind
Parent Chris Blume told the Courier Mail[4] his daughter’s best friend was badly injured in the crash and would need surgery overnight.
‘A couple of the parents are shocked,’ he said.
‘The teachers were also lending out phones to students who didn’t have a phone to let the kids’ parents know they were safe.
‘The teachers did a good job to ease the stress for the parents.’
Queensland Ambulance Senior Operations Supervisor Scott Harris said there were 60 people on board the bus, with seven ambulances responding to the serious crash.
He described most of the injuries to the 14 to 16-year-old students as ‘fairly moderate’ including ‘fractures and abrasions’.
The bus driver and one of the students were taken to the Gold Coast hospital with the driver later being released.
One student went up to Queensland Children’s hospital while the remainder of the crash victims went to Logan hospital.
A text message went out to parents with children in years 8 and 9 shortly after the crash.
Some parents went to the crash scene to pick up their children.
The rest got on one of the nine other buses transporting students to the excursion, which were all turned around to go back to school after the accident.
With two lanes closed during the morning the accident caused major traffic delays until the afternoon.
Students were left waiting at the side of the road at the crash site until either picked up by parents or put on another bus back to the school
Police said the bus was hit by a dump truck and trailter travelling at speed along the M1 motorway
A Department of Education spokesperson said the school was offering support to the families.
‘The department commends the selfless actions of the witnesses and school staff who offered immediate assistance and support to those involved in the incident,’ the spokesperson said.
‘Support is available at the school to anyone that may require it, including a Guidance Officer and other support staff.
‘The school is in contact with the affected families and will continue to monitor the students’ wellbeing.’
Police are investigating what caused the crash with the forensic crash unit attending the scene.
Anyone with information or dashcam footage is asked to contact police.
References
- ^ David Southwell And Brett Lackey For Daily Mail Australia (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Brisbane (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Gold Coast (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Courier Mail (www.couriermail.com.au)