CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- Two Chesterfield County students were taken to the hospital with minor injuries after an SUV drove into the back of their school bus Tuesday morning, according to a Chesterfield County police spokeswoman. The middle school students were on their way to Elizabeth Davis Middle school at the time of the crash. The crash happened at about 8 a.m. along the 13500 block of Jefferson Davis Highway near Old Bermuda Hundred Road.
"The bus’ lights were flashing and it was in the process of picking up students," Chesterfield Police spokeswoman Liz Caroon wrote in an email. "An SUV, which was traveling north on Jefferson Davis Highway, struck the back of the bus. Several students were checked out by rescue and not transported. Two students were transported, one to John Randolph Medical Center and one to St. Francis Medical Center, with minor injuries."
The SUV driver, Jerry Brown, was taken to Southside Regional Medical Center with minor injuries, police said. Brown, 60, of the 3000 block of Pineland Avenue in South Chesterfield, was charged with reckless driving.
Students and multiple witnesses said the SUV was traveling at a high rate of speed. One student, who was climbing the stairs to get on the bus at the time of impact, said the vehicle "came out of nowhere" it seemed.
VDOT said they are in the early stages on installing a stop light on the 13500 block of Jefferson Davis Highway, which parents on scene said should help with the safety on the stop. Still, there has not been a wreck like this at the stop prior to Tuesday morning, parents said. The stop light project should be done by the fall of 2016, according the VDOT.
