An 8-year-old Griffin girl was killed Thursday when her family’s Buick collided with a school bus.

Henry County Police Department spokesman Lt. Joey Smith said that a school bus was traveling east on Ga. 20 Thursday afternoon when it slowed down and activated its flashers to let a student off. A 1996 Buick Century driving behind the bus swerved to avoid rear-ending it but could not avoid a collision, Smith said.

An 8-year-old girl riding in the Buick’s right-rear passenger seat was killed in the crash. Two other people in the Buick — the driver and a 7-year-old boy — sustained non-life threatening injuries, police said.

No injuries were reported by children riding the school bus.

“At this time there are no signs of drugs or alcohol being contributing factors,” Smith said, “however this accident is still under investigation.”

About the Author

Keep Reading

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will expand to 48 teams, marking the first expansion of the field since 1998. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Featured

Managing Partner at Atlantica Properties, Darion Dunn (center) talks with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens during a tour following the ribbon cutting of Waterworks Village as part of the third phase of the city’s Rapid Housing Initiative on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025.
(Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez