Students evaluated at hospital after car rear-ends Cherokee school bus

Several Cherokee County School District elementary students were taken to a hospital for evaluation Friday morning after an SUV rear-ended their school bus.

About 10 students were on their way to Johnston Elementary on Holly Springs Parkway around 7 a.m. when the bus was hit from behind near East Cherokee Drive, Holly Springs police Cpl. Greg Bettis told AJC.com. Roughly half the students were taken to an area hospital with complaints of neck pain and soreness, and the rest were put on another bus to continue on to school, he said.

None of the children had visible injuries. The driver of the school bus also complained of neck pain, Bettis said.

The school district sent out a message to Johnston Elementary parents after the crash, spokeswoman Barbara Jacoby said. It advised parents no one on the bus suffered serious injuries. The parents of the children taken to a hospital were contacted separately.

The driver of the other vehicle, a Jeep Cherokee, was taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital. He is considered to be at fault, according to traffic investigators.

“They are continuing to investigate and we anticipate a citation for a traffic violation,” Bettis said.

Holly Springs Parkway was closed while authorities were on scene. The wreck was cleared before 8:30 a.m., according to police.