“The thoughts and prayers of our entire district are with the victim’s family,” said Marion County Public Schools
Credit: WESH 2 News/Youtube
NEED TO KNOW
- A 76-year-old man died following a crash involving a school bus in Marion County, Fla., on Wednesday, May 6
- The man screamed for help and later died at the hospital
- No children or employees on the bus were hurt, according to Marion County Public Schools
A 76-year-old man died after a pickup truck collided with a school bus in Florida.
On Wednesday, May 6, around 2:50 p.m. local time, a GMC Sierra was traveling west as a school bus was traveling in the opposite direction on State Road 40 in Marion County, The Ocala StarBanner, NBC affiliate WESH and FOX affiliate WOFL reported. When the bus attempted to turn left, the vehicles collided. Authorities said they believe the bus driver failed to yield to the pickup truck, according to the outlets.
Lorie Provancher told WESH she was driving behind the bus and doesn’t understand why the bus driver made that turn. The woman, her daughter and other bystanders attempted to help the trapped driver in the GMC.
“The gentleman was screaming for someone to get him out of his truck,” Provancher told the outlet. “All we could do was I was on the phone with 911, frantically, and my daughter and the other witness were trying to let him know that help was coming.”
Credit: Getty
She added that they were unable to reach him from either side of the truck and had to wait for first responders to arrive.
The 76-year-old man was transported to an area hospital, but later died of his injuries, according to the reports.
The bus involved was affiliated with Maplewood Elementary School and had four students, the driver and an aide on board, Kevin Christian, a spokesperson for the Marion County Public Schools, confirmed to PEOPLE. None of the adults or children on the bus were injured.
“The thoughts and prayers of our entire district are with the victim’s family,” the school district said in a statement. “The lives of everyone involved are forever changed.”
Counselors are available to students and staff. The bus driver, described as an “11-year veteran driver” for the district, is not currently driving, which is standard procedure in such situations, Christian said.
“We will await the Florida Highway Patrol’s final crash report to determine any disciplinary considerations,” the spokesperson added.
The Florida Highway Patrol, which is leading the investigation, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The crash is the latest in a series of school bus incidents in Marion and neighboring counties that have prompted concerned parents to speak out, WESH and WOFL reported.
Read the full article here
