The driver of a bus that wrecked in Hall County Friday morning, injuring more than a dozen students, suffered a momentary blackout before the wreck, an official said.
Gordon Higgins, spokesman for Hall County schools, said investigators on the scene said the driver, Doug McClure, 55, told them he blacked out briefly, causing him to lose control of the bus. He said McClure has been a bus driver for Hall County since 2008 and has "an excellent driving history" and never had an accident previously.
Higgins said all bus drivers hired by Hall County undergo health evaluations, undergo drug testing and have yearly medical exams. "There was nothing in his background to indicate what caused this," he said.
"I'm sure once he gets evaluated by the medical people ... and they have a chance to interview him about what things may have been going on with him, then we'll probably know more about it," Higgins said.
The bus driver and 16 students, who were headed to East Hall High School, were taken to Northeast Georgia Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, according to Jewel Armour, executive director of transportation for Hall County Schools.
Armour said the bus flipped over about 8:15 a.m. Friday at the intersection of Joe Chandler and East Hall roads.
According to East Hall High principal Jeff Cooper, McClure and one student were taken to the hospital by ambulance, and 14 other students were transported to the hospital by bus. Another bus took the remaining seven students on to school after they were evaluated at the scene and cleared to be transported to school.
One student who elected to return to school instead of going to the hospital was later hospitalized.
"The good news ... is there don't seem to be any serious injuries," Higgins said. "It looks like everybody's going to be fine."
"We just wish Mr. McClure a speedy recovery," he said.
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