By Chelsea Collinsworth from kcbd.com
A Lubbock-Cooper school bus carrying 11 elementary students was involved in a crash with a semi Thursday morning near FM 1585 and CR 2500, near MLK Ave. All 11 students and the bus driver were taken to the hospital.
The bus driver, 52-year-old Margaret Hernandez, and two students were initially reported to have serious injuries from the crash. Texas Department of Public Safety officials say two children were taken to Covenant Children’s Emergency room, one with serious injuries and one with minor injuries. The one reported to have serious injuries was assessed and was downgraded to have minor injuries. Nine children were taken to University Medical Center, one with serious injuries and eight with minor injuries.
Ten of the students have been released from the hospital. The child at UMC is currently in serious but stable condition. The driver of the bus is also in serious but stable condition.
DPS officials say Hernandez failed to yield the right of way at the intersection and pulled out in front of the semi-trailer. She was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash and was ejected from the school bus.
Emergency crews responded to the crash just before 7 a.m.
The driver of the 18-wheeler, 42-year-old Luis Sanchez, was not injured and is expected to be okay.