Bulloch County GA Sheriff Noel Brown commended the response to a chaotic crash scene on Interstate 16 Friday evening, involving a bus carrying students to an event in Savannah, Georgia, which strained the county's public safety resources. Sheriff Brown highlighted the quick actions of his deputies and all the first responders who rushed to the scene to assist with the crash.
"After our deputies arrived at the scene, they promptly implemented a plan that involved closing down Interstate 16 and establishing a detour route to ensure a safe working environment for our public safety teams," Sheriff Brown stated. "Once the area was secured and all the victims were taken care of by paramedics, deputies from Bulloch requested transport vehicles from the Sheriff's Departments to assist. The 10 students on the bus were unharmed but stranded. Deputies arranged for their transportation to hotels in Savannah and ensured all their immediate needs were met."
Sheriff Brown maintained communication with Tulsa County, Oklahoma, Sheriff Vic Regalado during the incident to provide updates on the situation and assure him of their commitment to safely transporting the children to Savannah.
Alongside Bulloch County Sheriff's Deputies, units from Bulloch County Fire, Bulloch County EMS, Georgia State Patrol Troopers, and Georgia DOT also provided assistance. Bryan County EMS responded with two ambulances, and LifeStar Medical Helicopter was stationed at Memorial Medical Center, the local trauma center in Savannah.
Additional deputies were called in by the Bulloch County Sheriff's Office, and extra paramedics were brought in by Bulloch County EMS to support the county's needs. The Statesboro Police Department also assisted in covering calls for the Sheriff's Office until more officers arrived.
Sheriff Brown expressed his pride in the dedication and outstanding work of all the public safety workers involved. "Despite the strain on our resources, we managed to answer every EMS, fire, and law enforcement call, which speaks volumes about the commitment of our exceptional team," Sheriff Brown commented. "I am immensely proud of each and every one of them for their efforts on Friday night. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families affected by this tragic accident, and we hope for a swift and full recovery for all."
The Crashes
Bulloch County 911 received reports of a crash involving a motorcycle around 6:50 pm on Friday, June 14, 2024, near Mile Marker 136 on the eastbound lane of I-16. Shortly after, they were alerted to another crash involving a school bus and two other vehicles near the initial motorcycle accident.
According to GSP Post 45 Sergeant Robbie Scott, the first accident occurred when a motorcyclist collided with the rear of a car and was ejected from the motorcycle. Traffic had come to a halt due to this incident, and the motorcyclist was taken to Memorial Medical Center in Savannah by Bulloch County EMS.
A small school bus from Liberty Public Schools in Mounds, OK, carrying 10 students to a Beta Club Convention in Savannah, had stopped. A white suburban with seven passengers, believed to be family members of the children on the bus, had also come to a stop. A black sedan failed to slow down and crashed into the rear of the suburban, causing it to hit the bus.
Although the children on the bus were unharmed, six of the seven passengers in the suburban sustained injuries. One passenger from the suburban was airlifted by LifeStar Medical Helicopter to Memorial Medical Center. The remaining injured passengers were transported by ambulance, along with the sedan driver.
Bryan County EMS, Bulloch EMS, and LifeStar Medical Helicopter were involved in transporting the injured to Memorial Medical Center in Savannah. The current condition of the crash victims remains unknown at the time of this report.
Georgia State Patrol Post 45 troopers are leading the investigation and have called in the Georgia State Patrol Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team (SCRT) to examine the scene.