FHP investigates accident involving two vehicles and a school bus

SANTA ROSA COUNTY, Fla. (WALA) – Multiple injuries were reported after a crash involving a pickup truck, an SUV and a school bus Tuesday afternoon in Santa Rosa County.

According to authorities, no students were injured in the accident.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the accident occurred around 3:16 p.m. on US 98 (State Road 30).

The 31-year-old man from Gulf Breeze, Florida, was the driver of the van, while the SUV was driven by a 43-year-old woman from Navarre, Florida. Both suffered minor injuries, the FHP said.

The 75-year-old school bus driver from Milton, Florida, was uninjured, authorities said.

According to the Highway Patrol, the van was traveling east on US Highway 98 (State Road 30) and was approaching the intersection of

Suncrest Street in the inside lane and the SUV was traveling east on US Highway 98 approaching the intersection with Suncrest Street in the inside lane. The school bus, meanwhile, was traveling east on US Highway 98 approaching the intersection with Suncrest Street in the outside lane.

The driver of the van said he was driving on U.S. Highway 98 when he was distracted by a water bottle rolling around on the driver's side, according to the FHP. He reportedly told authorities that he looked down and bent down to pick up the water bottle, and when he looked back at the road, everyone had stopped. He said his front bumper collided with the rear bumper of the SUV, and then the passenger side of his van struck the rear bumper of the school bus, according to the FHP report.

The driver of the SUV said she was traveling eastbound on U.S. Highway 98 and stopped in the inside lane of the school bus, which was letting children off, while the red lights were flashing and the red stop sign was activated, authorities said. The woman said she then, when she looked in the rearview mirror and saw the van approaching at a high rate of speed, tapped the brakes several times to get the van driver's attention, but was unsuccessful, according to FHP.

She reportedly told police officers that all she could remember was the van's front bumper hitting her rear bumper, then hitting the van and then the bus.

According to FHP, the school bus driver stated he did not see what happened, but he saw the bus traveling at a high rate of speed when he let one of the students off. The bus driver stated he grabbed the student and held her so she would not be hurt. The bus driver reported the other passenger on the bus stated he was not injured.

According to FHP, the van and SUV sustained significant damage.

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