1 Student Dead, Multiple Others Hospitalized After School Bus Rolls Over on Highway: Police

A student in Australia has died and several others were hospitalized after a school bus overturned near Geelong, Victoria.

The crash happened on Wednesday, Aug. 27, around 8:20 a.m. local time, when emergency crews were called to the Hamilton Highway in Stonehaven, according to Victoria Police.

Authorities believe the bus was turning left from Friend in Hand Road onto the highway when it rolled over.

“There were 28 school students on board the bus at the time, ranging from primary to secondary school age,” police said in a statement, confirming that a girl died at the scene.

A boy was airlifted to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, while the 76-year-old bus driver and nine students were also treated for non-life-threatening injuries and transported by road ambulance. Fourteen more students were taken to hospitals for observation. Police said the driver has since been released and is assisting investigators.

“The exact circumstances surrounding the collision are yet to be established and an investigation is ongoing,” the statement added.

The incident occurred about 50 miles southwest of Melbourne, leading to the closure of the Hamilton Highway in both directions, ABC reported. The bus was carrying students to a campus of Christian College Geelong.

Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Lineham of the Major Collision Investigation Unit said at a press conference that the cause remains under investigation, Sydney Morning Herald reported.

“This scene was very confronting when emergency services first arrived here,” Lineham said. “Any life lost on the road is one too many, but when children are involved it is particularly devastating. The first responders who came across this scene faced incredibly confronting circumstances.”

He noted that the bus driver underwent drug and alcohol testing, with results pending. It was also unclear if students had been wearing seatbelts.

Victoria’s Deputy Premier and Education Minister, Ben Carroll, offered condolences, saying, “My thoughts and prayers are with the young girl’s parents. I can only imagine the devastation they are experiencing.”

Carroll added that two children were being treated at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne and nine others at Geelong University Hospital as of Wednesday evening. Injuries ranged from broken bones and a skull fracture to less severe conditions.

Premier of Victoria Jacinta Allan also addressed the tragedy on Facebook, writing, “The tragic incident in Stonehaven is still unfolding. Children are receiving urgent medical care, and families are still being contacted. My thoughts are with the students, their families, the school and the entire Geelong community. We stand ready to support you in every way we can.”

She added, “These moments touch us all. They remind us to hold our loved ones a little tighter.”