INDIANAPOLIS — At least two students were hospitalized in Indianapolis with serious injuries after a South Putnam Community Schools bus and an SUV collided Wednesday morning at a rural intersection east of Greencastle.
A news release from Indiana State Police said troopers responded about 8 a.m.
Wednesday to the crash at County Road 50 South and County Road 525 East. That's about 5 miles east of downtown Greencastle, the Putnam County seat. It's about an hour's drive west-southwest of downtown Indianapolis.
Police said 24 students were on board. Sgt. Matt Ames said the bus was making a turn when the Dodge Durango could not stop due to slick roads from rain the night before.
Gerald Skoog, 69, of Greencastle, drove the bus, and Mellissa Church, age 47, of Fillmore, drove the 2019 Dodge Durango.
State police reported that emergency medical services did not have to take anyone to the hospital, but WRTV later learned at least one student was hurt.
Andrea Baugh said she got a call from her 16-year-old son, Elijah Throckmorton, who was on the bus. At one point during the call, he stopped talking. Baugh said, "I wasn't sure what was happening, and he wouldn't answer me. So I was freaking out…. I was scared to death that something happened. It's a phone call that nobody wants to get, you know."
She says EMS offered to take her son to the hospital, but she chose to drive him herself. She said he remained in IU Health Methodist hospital in Indianapolis with four injured spinal discs; a fractured sacrum, which is a large, triangular bone at the base of the lumbar spine; and a broken rib. Doctors also found fluid in his head.
"He's taken it really well. They came and put a brace on his upper torso because of the injuries and stuff."
Baugh said they’re not sure when Throckmorton can come home. But she said his classmates, principal, and counselor visited, and that support has made a big difference.
"Friends are everything, and people who care about you are everything. I have a lot of support because I couldn't do this right now … and Elijah and his friends are so happy. And that's medicine in its own way," Baugh said.
Police were continuing to review evidence to determine exactly what happened. In the meantime, they urged drivers to stay alert around schools buses. Ames said, "The most important thing is if you see those yellow buses on the roadways, you need to make sure you're traveling with a lot of caution on the road and make sure you obey the speed limit and driving appropriately for the road conditions and are not driving while not distracted."
WRTV reached out to the superintendent of South Putnam Community School Corp. via email and received the following statement:
To our South Putnam families and community,
I want to begin by expressing my gratitude to our families, staff, bus driver, and the emergency responders who acted quickly and calmly following yesterday morning's bus accident. Their steady response made a difficult situation safer for everyone involved.
Following the accident, students were either released directly to their parents or guardians at the scene or transported safely to school on another bus. As reported by the Indiana State Police, no students were transported from the scene by EMS for medical care. When students arrived at school, each one was individually checked by our school nurse, and our staff maintained direct communication with families throughout the day.
Most students have since returned to school. Several families chose to seek follow-up medical care, evaluation, or examination for their children, and a small number of students are still out while they recover. One student is receiving additional medical care for more significant injuries. We will continue to respect the privacy of each student and family and will not share individual medical information.
We know that an accident like this can affect students in ways that aren't always visible. Counseling and support services have been made available to students and staff, and we will continue to offer that support for as long as it is needed.
Our thoughts are with all of our students, our bus driver, and the driver and student in the other vehicle. We will continue to cooperate fully with the Indiana State Police investigation and follow all required safety procedures.
As we near the end of the school year, I also want to ask every driver in our community to remain alert and patient around school buses and student transportation routes. The safety of our children depends on all of us.
Thank you for your continued trust in our schools.
