17 Hurt in Bus Rollover on First Day of School

A bus carrying over 40 children overturned on the first day of school in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday, sending 16 to hospitals, including at least one person initially described as fighting for their life. The bus, transporting 42 children and one adult from Leander Independent School District, tipped onto its side while navigating a slight curve along Nameless Road in Travis County just after 3pm, before any students had been dropped off, report ABC News and KEYE. Fifteen students and the bus driver were taken to the hospital for treatment, per KEYE. Among them, one individual suffered life-threatening injuries and two others were classified as potentially life-threatening, per ABC.

Photos from the scene show the bus lying on its side in an embankment surrounded by trees, its body visibly damaged. The 2024 school bus had state-regulated seatbelts that students were required to wear, which may have prevented further injury or death. Authorities have not commented on the cause of the rollover. The rest of the passengers, who sustained less serious injuries or none at all, reconnected with families at a reunification center. Leander ISD Superintendent Bruce Gearing said it was another difficult moment for a community that "has been through so much already this summer" with impacts from the Texas floods. "Our hearts are with all those impacted by this tragedy," he said.