Thirteen injured in SUV, bus crash on Hilton Head

Thirteen people were taken to Hilton Head Hospital on Sunday morning after an SUV and a Palmetto Breeze bus wrecked at the intersection of William Hilton Parkway and Beach City Road, said Beaufort County sheriff's Capt. Toby McSwain.

Eleven passengers on the bus, and the driver and a passenger in a Nissan Xterra SUV were transported by five ambulances, McSwain said. None of the injuries was life-threatening, he said. The cause of the wreck, which occurred at about 7:10 a.m., has not been determined.

Johieda Fister, a spokesperson for the Hilton Head Island Fire and Rescue Division, said first-responders had to cut open the bus to get the passengers out because the SUV had blocked the doors. A passenger in the SUV also was trapped and had to be extracted, she said.

Fister said the bus was traveling east on William Hilton Parkway. When it was hit, the bus driver tried to regain control and stopped near Southwood Park Drive.

The call came in at 7:13 a.m., and the injured had all been transported by ambulance by 8:23 a.m., she said.

Glenda Lamont, a spokeswoman for First Transit, Palmetto Breeze's management company, said the bus was badly damaged, but she did not know the extent of the damages. The bus seats 44 people.

Rochelle Ferguson, Palmetto Breeze's executive director, said she did not know where the bus was headed or what caused the crash.

"Safety is our No. 1 priority," Ferguson said and referred questions to Lamont.

The Sheriff's Office is continuing its investigation, and First Transit will also conduct an internal investigation, Lamont said.

"We want to understand why this happened," Lamont said. "We're thankful that none of the injuries were life-threatening."