A bus driver was killed in an accident that also injured nine students on Monday morning. The bus was traveling in rural northern New Mexico when it careened off the road and fell into an embankment.
Authorities rushed to the bus in the ditch and confirmed the bus driver died at the scene. The bus was carrying students of the Mesa Vista School District ages 7 through 15 years old. According to the Los Angeles Times, eight students were taken to the Presbyterian Española Hospital about 25 miles north of Santa Fe. Presbyterian Española Hospital spokesperson Nicki Allcom also confirmed a student was airlifted from the scene and rushed to a hospital in Rio Arriba County, Albuquerque. Thankfully, no student suffered critical injury.
The school bus was on its way to an Ojo Caliente elementary school Monday morning when the accident occurred on New Mexico Highway 111. The accident was first reported at 7:20 a.m. Mountain time. However, authorities believe the accident happened significantly earlier.
"This is an area where there is no cellphone service because of the terrain," reported Rio Arriba Sheriff's Office spokesperson Jake Arnold.
First responders at the crash site conducted preliminary investigations to identify possible causes of the tragic accident:
"It appears the bus driver may have had a heart attack or some other medical event that caused the accident," said Jake Arnold. "That's our initial assessment, but we cannot tell for sure."
Investigators cannot be sure whether the bus driver lost his life from a health problem or from physical trauma caused by the crash.
Be sure to watch the video below to learn more about the crash that killed a bus driver and injured nine students.
