A school bus driver was killed and two students suffered minor injuries in a serious crash in Upson County on Friday morning, just two days after the first day of school in the district, officials said.
The bus driver was traveling north on Logtown Road near Thomaston just before the crash, which took place a little before 7 a.m., Upson Sheriff Dan Kilgore told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The bus moved into the opposite lane and hit a utility truck that was traveling south, Kilgore said.
Responding deputies found the bus driver, later identified as 69-year-old Sebastian Ciarcia, dead at the scene, Kilgore said. Three children were on the bus at the time. None were visibly hurt, but two complained of injuries, Kilgore said.
The sheriff said all three students, who are in first, second and fifth grades, were taken to the hospital for observation. Two were transported in an ambulance, according to the Thomaston-Upson School District.
The truck driver was not injured; he called 911 and stayed on the scene to help after the crash, Kilgore said.
The school district shared a statement on Facebook about the crash shortly after 10 a.m.
“Our hearts go out to our bus driver’s family and to his friends and co-workers at the Thomaston-Upson Transportation Department,” the school district said. “We ask the community to join us in keeping the family of our bus driver as well as our students and their families in your thoughts and prayers and to respect their privacy during this difficult time.”
Ciarcia was hired by Thomaston-Upson schools before the 2019-2020 school year, a representative for the school district said.
According to Ciarcia’s obituary, he retired from a career as a lawyer before becoming a bus driver. He is survived by his wife, five children, two grandchildren and many extended family members, the obituary said. A memorial service will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at Yatesville Baptist Church.
The crash follows several incidents of school bus accidents in the metro Atlanta area in recent months.
In late July, a bus from an Alabama day care filled with children taking a trip to Six Flags Over Georgia was rear-ended on I-20 in Douglas County, according to the Georgia State Patrol. Several children were treated for minor injuries, mostly bumps and bruises, at the scene. The driver of the Honda Civic that rear-ended the bus was taken to the hospital, and their condition was not released.
Two other school bus crashes were reported in May, both in DeKalb County.
The less serious of the two took place May 10 when a bus hit another car in Lithonia, according to police. Two students were on board and no one on the bus was injured. The driver of the second car was not visibly hurt but complained of injuries and was taken to the hospital, police said.
Less than a week earlier, four children between the ages of 5-11 were taken to hospitals with minor injuries after a car hit a day care bus in DeKalb, police said. The crash took place just before 7 a.m. near the intersection of Flat Shoals and Lloyd roads. The impact was violent enough that the other car’s engine separated from its body and could be seen lying in the road.
The driver of the other vehicle was also taken to the hospital with minor injuries. Police said the driver was cited for failing to maintain their lane.
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