WILLIAMSON, W.Va. — Seven students and the bus driver from Mingo County schools are home and recovering after a frightening ordeal Tuesday on the ride to school. T
The school bus collided head-on with a truck on Route 52 not far from Mingo Central High School. The driver of the truck, Thomas Francis, 50, of Omar, W.Va. was killed in the crash.
Mingo County Schools Superintendent Dr. Johnny Branch told MetroNews Wednesday he got the call moments after the crash and was soon on his way there, but no amount of preparation could ready him for what he saw at the scene. The school bus lay on its side and the truck was in pieces with parts of the wreckage on fire.
“It was very disturbing, but it was very hard to process. It was just a horrible, horrific scene,” he explained.
Prior to going to the scene, Branch went to the school to check on the students and his people to make sure they were okay or were at least getting the proper care. they needed.
“I went to check on them first and also to check on my administrator. She saw everything very soon after the accident,” Branch said.
Seven students and the bus driver were taken to local hospitals for evaluation. All but one was treated and released. The final victim was kept overnight for observation and released Wednesday. All are home and recovering, but Branch said they had been through an ordeal.
Branch said his thoughts and prayers were with the family of the truck driver who was killed, but he also the terrible accident could have been much, much worse.
“I just know after seeing it, I’m so grateful that our students and our driver were able to get out in the condition they were,” he said.
A cause for the accident remains under investigation by the Mingo County Sheriff’s Department and the West Virginia State Police.