A bus wreck Thursday sent Hayes Middle students to Thomas Memorial Hospital, and school officials are tight-lipped on details.
Paige Johnson, director of marketing and public relations for Thomas Health System, said 11 students arrived at Thomas Memorial mid-morning and were all treated and released, though she didn't know the exact times they were released or the extent of their injuries.
"None were critical," Johnson said.
Tara Alden said her son received a concussion, a sprained arm, whiplash and bruised ribs. She said some kids had glass in their ears and eyes, and one girl passed out on the drive to the hospital, was vomiting and had a concussion.
Alden said she was furious when she saw the same bus driver, Cameron Cline, picking up her two younger children to go to Central Elementary on Friday morning. She said a deputy told her Cline went off the road when he tried to dodge a pothole.
Kanawha County Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. Brian Humphreys said that according to a preliminary report filed by Deputy J.W. Eary, Cline ran off the right side of Strawberry Road about a mile from the St. Albans-area school about 8 a.m. Humphreys said the right rear end of the bus struck a tree stump.
He said Cline didn't have a good place to pull over, so after the incident he drove the bus, carrying 27 passengers, to the middle school.
"All of the passengers exited the bus safely," Humphreys said.
Eary's report didn't list any cause for the incident - though Humphreys said he has yet to receive verbal statements recorded during the investigation - and listed possible injury for every student, but no specifics. Humphreys said Eary was off Friday.
Brette Fraley, Kanawha's executive transportation director, declined to give the Gazette-Mail details, citing his department's investigation of the incident. He said he was following standard procedure.
"There's lots of privacy issues," Fraley said, "... but no, typically we would not make a comment until we're finished."
Kanawha schools Superintendent Ron Duerring also declined to give specifics, citing the transportation department's investigation. He said all the facts aren't yet in.
He confirmed glass shattered and students were injured.
"There were some bumps and bruises and abrasions," he said.
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