Numerous students and staff were injured when a bus carrying a high school wrestling team collided with an SUV in the Denver metropolitan area on the evening of Saturday, Dec. 6.
According to a press release shared on Sunday, Dec. 7, the Lakewood Police Department said officers were dispatched to the crash at around 7:33 p.m. at the intersection of Kipling Parkway and West 6th Ave.
When first responders arrived, they found that the incident involved a school bus and an SUV. The high school students on the bus were returning from a wrestling tournament, per CBS News.
“Several people from both vehicles were transported from the scene to area hospitals for treatment,” authorities said in their statement. “At this time, we can confirm that the crash involved one or more individuals being ejected.” They added that no further details about the injuries or conditions of those involved would be released at that time.
A spokesperson from West Metro Fire Rescue confirmed in an email that 14 people were taken to the hospital. Five were reported to be in critical condition, while nine others were described as non-critical.
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Officials said all four occupants of the SUV were hospitalized. Ten people from the bus were also transported to medical facilities, including eight students and two coaches.
Authorities are continuing to investigate what caused the collision and are working to determine whether factors such as speed or alcohol played a role.
“The families of those involved are requesting privacy at this time,” officials noted.
Mesa County Valley School District 51 said in a separate press release that several students and members of the wrestling staff remained in the hospital receiving treatment.
“Out of respect for the families and to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation, we encourage our community to avoid sharing unverified information,” the district added. “Please rely only on updates that come directly from District 51 or the Lakewood Police Department, who is the lead agency and the only agency authorized to share details about the incident.”
