A South Carolina eighth grader has died following a school bus crash believed to have been caused by a blown-out tire on Thursday afternoon.
The Chester County Coroner’s Office reportedly confirmed that 13-year-old Pine Ridge Middle School student Jose Maria Gonzales Linares didn’t survive the accident that injured more than 20 passengers returning from a field trip near Charlotte, N.C.
Lexington School District Two confirmed a student died, but declined to release further information, according to The State. The district began its spring break Friday and couldn’t be reached for comment.
School officials said Thursday that a bus carrying 35 students and two adults overturned on I-77 around 2 p.m. in Chester County. Rescue workers rushed to remove the trapped victims from the overturned bus that blocked traffic in both directions.
Five people on the bus were hospitalized in critical condition, according to WCNC. The condition of those who remain hospitalized is currently unclear. The State reported passengers on two other buses were also treated for injuries they sustained when their vehicles swerved to avoid a collision.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster called the crash “a tragedy no family should ever have to endure” and offered support for the victims and their families.
