Live updates: Lexington school bus involved in accident, no children injured

Editor’s note: This story was last updated at 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 22.

A Lexington school bus with 40 students on it ran off the road and wound up on its side “at an upright angle” in a ditch Wednesday morning, according to officials.

The accident happened in the area of Liberty and New Circle roads, according to Lisa Deffendall, a spokesperson for Fayette County Public Schools. There were children on the bus at the time, but both FCPS and the Lexington Fire Department initially reported there were no injuries.

The fire department had multiple units at the scene. The Lexington Traffic Management Center advised drivers to avoid the outer loop of New Circle Road between Richmond Road and Young Drive while the incident is being cleared up.

FCPS confirms more details about incident

2 p.m. - Fayette County Public Schools issued an updated statement Wednesday afternoon confirming more details about the accident. While transporting students to school on Wednesday, the statement said, Bus #106 was involved in an accident on the outer loop of New Circle Road near Liberty Road just after 8:30 a.m. No injuries were reported and no other vehicles were involved.

The Lexington Fire Department responded along with the Lexington Police Department and officers from the Fayette County Public Schools Police Department.

Paramedics evaluated students and staff for any injuries, but no one required emergency room care. Students then boarded a different bus to go to school. Although the new bus had a different driver and monitor, the monitor from the original bus “insisted on traveling with the students to provide a familiar and reassuring presence,” the statement said.

In addition to care at the scene of the accident, emergency responders went to Crawford Middle School to further evaluate each student, the release said. A team of school counselors and district mental health professionals were also at Crawford to support the students as they processed the events of the morning. Additional support will continue to be available as long as students need it.

“We are grateful to the firefighters, paramedics, and police officers who arrived on the scene quickly to ensure the safety of everyone on the bus and followed up on our students once they arrived on campus,” Fayette County Public Schools Superintendent Demetrus Liggins said in the statement. “I was thoroughly impressed by emergency responders on campus as they evaluated and thoughtfully reassured each student as they returned to class.”

While the investigation continues, initial reports indicate that the bus was in the turning lane on a portion of New Circle Road without a shoulder when the back wheels of the bus veered slightly off the pavement. Rather than risking an over-correction, the driver followed safety procedures, easing the bus to a stop in the ditch where it rested at an upright angle on the embankment.

While main door access was blocked, all students, along with the monitor and the driver were able to safely exit the bus through the rear emergency exit.

The statement said school buses are designed with enhanced safety features to minimize injuries in the unlikely event of an accident. Drivers and monitors undergo intense training and certification, and students participate in safety and evacuation drills to ensure they know what to do in the event of an emergency.

“While our goal is to operate with zero accidents, we are proud of the way our students and staff responded today, relying on their experience and training in the midst of a frightening situation,” Liggins said.

Standard post-accident protocols will be followed, including drug and alcohol testing of the driver and mechanical inspection of the bus. The driver of the bus has been employed as a driver with Fayette County Public Schools since 2018 and was running her regular route Wednesday morning when the accident occurred.

Lanes reopened after bus crash

10 a.m. - Traffic officials say all lanes of New Circle Road were reopened after officials cleared up the accident Wednesday morning. Police were still on scene at the shoulder of the road.

40 students were onboard bus, officials say

9:45 a.m. - The Lexington Fire Department said 40 students were on the bus when the accident happened, as well as one driver and one monitor. Maj. Derek Roberts from the fire department further confirmed there were no injuries and said the students were taken to Crawford Middle School after the accident.

This is a developing story and will be updated.