Student Transported Following School Bus Crash

BY DAVID FISHER

david@dresdenenterprise.com

WEAKLEY COUNTY (March 2) — A Weakley County student is being treated after the school bus the child was riding on was hit by a pick-up truck early Wednesday morning, as it was traveling to Greenfield School.

According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, at 7:03 a.m., a Weakley County school bus was eastbound on Highway 124, when the bus stopped at a residence to pick up a child. Although the caution lights were on, the 2018 International school bus, operated by Cindy Sawyers, 42, of Greenfield, was rear-ended by a 2018 Ford F-150 driven by Matthew McCollum, 36, of Greenfield.

Weakley County Schools Communications Director Karen Campbell says the bus was transporting five students at the time of the accident. Fortunately, there were no students seated near the rear of the bus, where the impact took place.

According to Director of Weakley County Schools Randy Frazier, one of the students on the bus suffered neck, back and leg pain, following the collision. Another student was attempting to board the bus, when the impact occurred, but that child was not injured.

THP reports the injured student was flown to a medical facility in Nashville with non-life threatening injuries.

The other children were assessed for possible injuries, before being were reunited with nearby family members.

Sawyers and McCollum, who were both wearing seat belts, were uninjured in the crash.

THP says there were no indicators that the Ford driver was impaired, but other charges are pending.

State Route 124 was closed between Pillowville and Greenfield while officials investigated the accident.

Although there were no life-threatening injuries, Frazier cautioned drivers to be observant and watch out for school buses, which stop to pick up students in the mornings and drop them off in the evenings.

“We are grateful for the expertise of the bus driver and the transportation department’s quick and effective handling of the situation alongside emergency personnel that responded to the scene,” Frazier said.