UPDATE: Fatal church bus crash in Atlanta t.co/nVxtU6zMdS
A horrific bus crash in Atlanta left at least one person dead and dozens more injured.
The incident occurred along Cam Creek Parkway at Merk Road in Fulton County nearby Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on June 8, Fox 5 Atlanta reported. It happened around rush hour, just before 4 p.m. EDT., and emergency crews were still on scene picking up from the crash hours afterward.
Those on board were from Mount Zion Baptist Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. At Least 21 People Were Hurt
BREAKING: Several injured in Atlanta church bus wreck. Bus is from Huntsville. t.co/ZsvQdkDO6T
There were varying counts of those that were injured, but WSB-TV 2 in Atlanta said at least 21 people were hurt as a result of the crash.
A spokesperson for Grady Memorial Hospital said that the medical center received nine patients from the crash. Four of those were listed in critical condition, while three were listed as in fair condition and two were stable. Three other hospitals in the Atlanta area also received injured patients.
Authorities responded in large numbers to the scary scene on Cam Parkway. Fox 5 News, which had its news helicopter overhead, reported seeing at least three medical helicopters being flown in to transport the wounded to nearby medical facilities as quickly as possible.
2. Church Members Were on Their Way to a Mission Trip
#BREAKING: Church says bus was on its way to the Atlanta airport: t.co/JgtncsEbcO We have multiple crews at the scene.
The bus was traveling to the airport in Atlanta to take church members on a mission trip to Africa, officials from the church confirmed to local news outlets.
The church members on board were 11th and 12th grade students with a few adult chaperones coming along.
Sparkman High School posted to its Facebook page that some of its students were on the bus and urged people to pray for them as they go through a difficult time.
Mount Zion Minister of Education Terry Slay told NBC 11 Atlanta that he and the church’s congregation were aware of the crash but couldn’t offer any more details.
“We know there was a wreck, some injuries, some critical,” he said to the news station. “That’s all we know right now.”
According to its website, the church is composed of “individuals and families who have discovered meaning and purpose for living through a personal relationship with Jesus as Savior and Lord.”
3. The Church Posted a Message Urging People to Pray for the Injured
BREAKING: An Alabama church bus has been involved in an Atlanta crash; one report says 17 injured t.co/rumxOouggR
The church posted a message to its Facebook page urging people to pray for those on board the bus when it crashed.
PRAY! One of the buses with the student ministry mission had an accident on the way to the Atlanta airport. Several serious injuries. Please pray for those injured and parents as they travel to Atlanta.
Users from all over the world on Facebook responded with well wishes to those that were harmed by the crash. That included some people who offered assistance in any way possible.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with you,” Facebook user Terry G. Pearman wrote to the post. “I am the Worship and Operations Pastor of Beulah Baptist Church in Douglasville, GA (west of Atlanta). If we can be of any assistance to your church family please consider us a willing resource. May God bless you with His grace and mercy during this difficult time.”
4. Photos & Video Showed a Gruesome Scene
FIRST ALERT: Huntsville church bus crashes in Atlanta > t.co/dZ764JDzuX
Aerial views of the wreck showed the charter bus completely totaled and sitting on top of what looked to be at least one more vehicle. Officers told WSB-TV 2 that the bus overturned and landed on the car.
Emergency crews were seen rushing to the bus and trying to get the injured to safety.
Huntsville church posts message in relation to Atlanta bus wreck: ‘Pray’ t.co/QcvdyMI8RD
The one death that has been reported so far from the crash was confirmed by Mount Zion to be a member there.
To see more photos from the scene, click below.
5. Roads Were Shut Down & Traffic Was Halted
#BREAKING: 1 dead, 30 injured after Huntsville church bus crashes in Atlanta t.co/VeBDtfp8oH
The road where the crash occurred was shut down in both directions, causing a hairy commute for those traveling on the road.
Officials from Fulton County urged parents of those involved in the crash to contact AMR Ambulance service at (404)-308-2299. The company is trying to reunite those parents and children at its offices in the Atlanta area.
