School Bus Overturns On Return From Camping Trip, 19 Girls Hospitalized

A school bus overturned in Kansas on the way back from an annual campout, sending 19 sixth grade girls to the hospital.

The bus was driving on a highway near Bonner Springs in Kansas when it took a curve in the road too sharply and overturned, said Kansas Highway Patrol trooper Howard Dickinson. Authorities said none of the students were seriously injured, but 20 of the 36 people onboard, including the bus driver, were taken to hospitals.

“The bus came around a corner and dropped a rear wheel off the roadway. It swung around and turned over in a ditch,” Dickinson said.

Dickinson the most difficult part was getting the girls to calm down after their school bus overturned.

The driver of the bus initially got out to help some of the injured girls, but eventually had to stop and lied down on the grass, police said. Some other people stopped to help as well, pulling girls from the bus that ended up on its right side, blocking the main door.

Roger Twitchel, the manager of a body shop next to where the bus overturned, said he came to help when he saw the accident. Most of the girls on the scene were up walking and talking, with mostly minor injuries, he said.

”For the most part, it was a bunch of brave little 11-year-old girls,” he said. “Some were comforting each other.”

The bus that overturned was one of two from Pembroke Hills School returning from the camping trip. The other bus carried the boys from the class.

Video from the scene showed the school bus laying on its side with ambulances surrounding the scene and debris and papers spread into a nearby field.

Investigators are trying to determine exactly why the school bus overturned and plan to interview the driver. Initial reports said he was not impaired in any way.