The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) announced a traffic incident shortly after 11 a.m. on Thursday.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A collision involving a school bus resulted in injuries to four young children and led to the shutdown of all westbound lanes on Zoo Parkway, just east of the Jacksonville Zoo.
According to a spokesperson from Duval County Public Schools, the bus was transporting kindergarten students from San Pablo Elementary School to the Zoo for a field trip when the accident occurred. The four injured students were promptly taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
San Pablo Elementary representatives informed First Coast News that the injured children are kindergarteners, and their injuries are not life-threatening.
A witness recounted to First Coast News that the crash happened when a semi-truck rear-ended the last in a series of three buses. This occurred after the lead bus stopped at a railroad crossing to comply with state law by checking for oncoming trains.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office spokesperson noted that the westbound lanes of Zoo Parkway will remain closed for an indefinite period while authorities work to resolve the situation.
DCPS released the following statement to San Pablo Elementary families:
“Hello San Pablo kindergarten families. This is Duval County Public Schools with important information. One of the buses transporting kindergarten students to the zoo from San Pablo this morning was involved in an accident, and at least three students sustained injuries. We are in direct contact with the families of those students. Again, we are in direct contact with the families of the students who sustained injuries. All other students are safe, and school staff are on site with them. We are continuing to gather more information and will provide updates as soon as possible. Please stand by for additional details regarding a student pick-up plan.”
