Shocking School Bus Crash in Columbia Suburb Leaves Community Astonished

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Shocking Bus Crash Leaves Neighborhood in Awe!

Friday afternoon was anything but ordinary in a peaceful Columbia suburb. A school bus carrying students from Dutch Fork High School took a detour from its routine route and ended up making an unexpected visit to a backyard. Yes, you read that right! The bus veered off Gauley Drive and plunged into a backyard, stopping just a few feet away from a shimmering pond. Can you imagine that?

Emergency Response with No Serious Injuries?

The local police, equipped with their trusty notepads and flashing lights, quickly sprang into action to investigate this unusual incident. Thankfully, there were no serious injuries reported. The bus was transporting a driver and several students, and all of them were given a thorough checkup by emergency medical services (EMS) right on the scene. The good news? Everyone was fine and didn’t require a trip to the hospital.

The bus had quite the dramatic path! With visible tire tracks marking its trail through the grass and paving stones, it was clear that this was no simple mishap. The bus rolled down a hill before crashing into the backyard — a trajectory that some neighbors found borderline miraculous given how close it came to the water.

Neighbors React to the Surprise Visit

Imagine peeking out your window and spotting a bus in your neighbor’s yard! That’s exactly what happened to Leslie Grogan, who lives just across the pond. “I looked out the window, and there’s a bus across the pond in my neighbor’s yard,” she shared. “It was just kind of shocking at first, and I was so thankful when I heard no one was injured.” Her husband, Steve Grogan, was also home at the time of the wild ride, and he noted that cars often come barreling down that hill. “To turn off that road, go over that hill, and not roll over… they did a good job,” he said with relief.

The Homeowner Finds Out in a Unique Way

The homeowner whose backyard became the bus’s unexpected resting spot wasn’t home at the time of the incident. She got the news through her Ring doorbell when someone rang to inform her of the unusual crash. Imagine her surprise hearing that a school bus had taken a shortcut right into her yard! She expressed gratitude that the accident wasn’t worse, demonstrating a spirit of resilience that’s truly commendable.

School District Responds with Care

Lexington-Richland School District Five issued a statement about the incident shortly afterward. “A bus carrying students from Dutch Fork High School was involved in an incident on Friday, December 13, 2024,” it read. The statement emphasized that the staff and students were examined on the site, and thankfully, no one needed transport to a medical facility. After the incident, everyone was moved to a different bus and taken to their usual drop-off points. Safety remains a top priority for the district, and they are committed to working with the Columbia Police Department to uncover the details surrounding the incident.

Investigation Underway

The Columbia Police Department is continuing to dig into the circumstances that led to this unexpected adventure. With everyone safe and sound, it’s a perfect reminder to all of us about the importance of road safety — and, let’s be honest, sometimes life throws some pretty wild surprises our way!

As this story develops, residents are surely hoping for answers while enjoying the good fortune that no one was seriously harmed. We’ll keep you posted on this fascinating twist in Columbia neighborhood news!