KRQE News published April 26, 2022: Video: Car crashes into Albuquerque school bus with students inside
KRQE News, Albuquerque local
written by Allison Giron, Kim Vallez
Friday April 29, 2022
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – New video released by the Albuquerque Police Department shows the chaotic and terrifying moments when a car crashed into a school bus, causing it to roll over onto its side in February. One second, kids are talking and laughing; the next, they are trying to figure out what happened. The video shows the middle schoolers piled on top of each other, unable to get up after the car hits the bus.
The impact was so great that kids were thrown from one side of the bus to the other. In slow motion, the video shows the moment the car hit the center of the bus. The bus driver only had a split second to react.
It then shows the bus driver and kids on board trying to get free, but they are rattled and confused. In the back of the bus is where it was a much more serious situation.
The video shows kids trying to help their friends get free. One girl had a broken pelvis. Another boy, who seconds earlier was walking down the aisle, was thrown so hard he was unable to get up.
The bus driver then crawls over the seats to help the kids who are trying desperately to get out. Some of the kids were already on the phone with their parents while others crawled out of the window. The rest crawled out of the emergency door.
It isn’t long before bystanders arrive to help. Slowly, everyone makes their way off the bus with help from people who saw the crash. However, one boy remains stuck. People come to his aid and got him out.
The students were from George I. Sanchez Community Collaborative School. According to a spokesperson for Albuquerque Public Schools, there were 23 students on board at the time of the crash. Seven students on board and the bus driver were sent to the hospital for injuries. According to the criminal complaint, a 14-year-old suffered a pelvic fracture and a 13-year-old suffered a femur fracture – both injuries requiring surgery.
The driver of the car that hit the bus was Mario Perez. He is facing two counts of great bodily harm by vehicle. The District Attorney’s Office says those charges were filed by the officer. More charges related to the other kids could be added once it makes its way through their office to District Court.
KOAT7 ABC News published 23 students were aboard school bus that rolled over in crash, Albuquerque officials say
WUTC88.1 Chattanooga's NPR Station
written by Jaclyn Diaz
Thursday April 28, 2022
A new video released by the Albuquerque Police Department sheds light on the frightening moments when a car crashed into a school bus in New Mexico in February.
The driver of the Ford Mustang that crashed into the bus was allegedly racing another Ford Mustang, according to police. One witness estimated that the cars hit speeds of 110 miles per hour; the posted speed limit for the area of the crash is 40 miles per hour.
The recently-released video analyzed by NPR shows the terrifying impact of the Feb. 23 crash from inside the school bus. About 23 children were riding the bus at the time of the incident.
The video shows that, at one moment, the young children were talking and laughing. Then a child lets out a scream and the bus pitches to one side, throwing the kids across the bus and on top of one another.
Seven children were transported to area hospitals following the crash, the police said.
The driver that crashed into the bus, Mario Perez, was transported to the University of New Mexico Hospital for a broken femur, according to police.
Perez spent time in the hospital, was arrested upon his release, and was charged with great bodily harm by vehicle, according to the Albuquerque Police Department. He was released from jail pending trial.
The driver of the other Ford Mustang allegedly took off following the crash. The investigation is still ongoing.
According to the National Safety Council, riding in a school bus is safer than walking or riding in a car.
In 2020, about 4,800 people were injured in school bus-related crashes nationwide, according to the group.
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