Clanton, AL : 12 students injured after Chilton County bus crash on Thursday afternoon, January 22, 2015

Neighbors rushed to rescue students from an overturned school bus in Chilton County. Teachers, classmates, and families watched the terrifying sight of a school bus on its side and children being loaded into ambulances.

There were 20 children total on the bus. 11 were transported with minor injuries. 8 were sent to Shelby Medical Center - they were treated and released. 3 were taken to Children's of Alabama. One was discharged, but two were admitted for overnight observation.

"I didn't know if they were ok or not -was just scared," Meagan Baker, an elementary school student who had friends on the bus said.

Backpacks, books, a jacket, even a pair of shoes were left scattered after Bus 25-12 overturned.

"We want to let the community know there were no major injuries just minor injuries," Tommy Glasscock, Chilton County Superintendent said.

Travis Wimbush was working in his yard when he heard the crash. He and other neighbors rushed over to help the 20 children on board.

"Saw the smoke and fluid coming from the bus and immediately got the exit door open and started unloading the kids," Wimbush said. "We had two that were entrapped. We began to work to get the pressure of the bus to get them untrapped and the bus driver got out of her seat to come back and start assisting."

He said two of the students' legs were trapped under the bus.

"It was a surreal experience out of fear thinking the bus might catch on fire," Wimbush said. "There was a fluid coming from the bus but not sure what it was."

Pamela Taylor - a second grade teacher at Clanton Elementary - rushed to the scene when she heard her students were on the bus.

"We see them in the halls every day - you know who a lot of them are. hopefully they'll all be ok," Taylor said.

After the Clanton hospital closed, she says she was concerned about the long drive for medical care.

"Scary, very scary because you hear when they're all going to the hospital - we don't have a hospital here, so they all had to be taken somewhere else," Taylor said. "You don't know who was taken and who wasn't."

"I'm just hoping they're ok," Baker said. "To make sure they're not hurt."

The details of why the bus crashed have not yet been released. Witnesses say it looked like a problem with the back wheel.

Source :
12 students transported to hospital after Chilton Co. bus crash