Media

Ten Hurt In Day Care Bus Crash

Release Date: October 14, 2004

A head-on collision late this afternoon that involved a pickup truck and a day care bus left eight children and two adults injured in East Shelby County.

Shelby County Traffic Deputies say a pickup truck driven by Brandon Barton, 19, of Millington, was traveling east on Macon Road near Pisgah Road, when his truck crossed the double yellow line on the roadway shortly after four o’clock this afternoon.

Barton’s truck hit the bus head-on from the Cordova Christian Learning Center. The driver of the bus, Michelle Sanders, 26, of Covington, Tennessee, had picked up eight children from three Shelby County elementary schools for an after-school program.

The eight children were from Chimney Rock, Macon Hall and Mt. Pisgah Elementary schools. All of children were taken to Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center. Seven were treated for cuts and bruises. They were released from the hospital tonight.

A seven-year-old girl who was airlifted to Le Bonheur remains in the hospital in serious condition.

Deputies say Ms. Sanders, the day care center bus driver, was taken to Baptist Hospital. She was not seriously injured.

Brandon Barton, the pickup truck driver, was taken to The Med. He remains in stable condition.

Deputies say Barton was not wearing a seat belt. He has been charged with Failure to Maintain Control and Violation of the Seat Belt Law.

Deputies say the driver and all of the children on board the day care bus had their seat belts on.

Investigators say a rain shower had moved through the area just before the crash. They say the wet street contributed to the cause of the crash.

Traffic Deputies say alcohol WAS NOT involved in the crash.

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