Five Students, One Teacher Still Hospitalized After Bus Crash: Philadelphia School District

MT. AIRY, PHILADELPHIA – A bus carrying students and teachers from a Mt. Airy school has crashed in Maryland, injuring 28. The School District of Philadelphia said as of Monday night, five students and one teacher remain hospitalized.

The district said one teacher and one student were seriously injured in the crash and did not provide an update on their conditions early Monday.

Twenty-one students, one chaperone, one parent, and a bus driver have been released from medical centers, the district said.

The seriously injured student was taken to a children's hospital in Delaware, while the seriously injured teacher was taken to a hospital in Baltimore, according to the district.

The school was set up as a reunification center but the district said it has since been closed, but said if parents or school community members have questions they are encouraged to contact the Family and Community Engagement Office by calling (215) 400-5858.

"Our thoughts and prayers remain with everyone involved in this accident and the entire Charles Henry School Community during this difficult time," District Superintendent Dr. William Hite said in a statement. "We will be forever thankful to the first responders, doctors and nurses, Maryland emergency response and state troopers for their efforts to insure our students, teachers and parents safety. I also want to thank the Philadelphia police and their cadets who stepped in to assist on site and our entire city government community who made available every resource that we needed."

School will resume Wednesday and counseling will continue.

"The Charles Henry school psychologist and counselor, as well as additional District staff, will be on-site at the school to offer support to anyone who needs it," Hite said.

Mayor Kenney said the city is offering all available resources to the district in order to help the affected families.

"This was a devastating event for all involved. Student safety, on and off school grounds, is of paramount importance, and the City will continue to do whatever we can to support the School District and assist families impacted by this tragedy," Kenney said "I pray for the full and speedy recovery of those who were hurt.”

Hite said extra support staff, such as counselor and police, were dispatched to the school after the district learned of the incident.

The incident was first reported sometime before 10 a.m. on Monday morning, Maryland State Police said.

The district said the extent of the injuries for most students are unknown.

The district said the bus was heading to Washington D.C. for a field trip when the crash occurred and that luckily a bus full of Philadelphia Police officers was traveling behind the charter bus. Those officers helped at the scene.

It's not known what caused the crash, which occurred on I-95 southbound near exit 89. An investigation into the incident is ongoing, police said. At least one other car was involved in the incident.

Based on preliminary investigation, police said that the driver of a passenger car had been trying to pass the bus when the car lost control and clipped the front of the bus, which overturned near an embankment.

Upon consulting with the Harford County State's Attorney's Office, police said charges would be withheld pending the outcome of the investigation.

6ABC reports that the bus is owned by Werner Coach out of Phoenixville while

I-95 was shut down and backed up for miles in the wake of the crash, officials said. Northbound lanes were reopened at 11:45 p.m. but southbound remains closed as the investigation and cleanup continues.

Victims were taken to Harford Memorial Hospital, Christiana Care, and Upper Chesapeake Health at the University of Maryland.

With reporting from Justin Heinze

Image via Susquehanna Hose Company (Havre de Grace, Maryland)