Update: SUV ran into side of turning school bus carrying Bluffton students, police say

Emergency crews responded to an accident involving a Beaufort County school bus and a Ford Explorer in Bluffton on Tuesday morning.

Capt. Joe Babkiewicz, spokesman for the Bluffton Police Department, said a driver and two students were on the bus at the time of the crash just after 8 a.m. at the intersection of Buck Island Road and Kensington Boulevard.

The bus was making a wide turn when the driver of the SUV behind it attempted to go straight and ran into the side of the bus, Babkiewicz said.

He said the driver of the SUV was cited for unlawful passing. The driver of the bus was not cited.

The students were headed to McCracken Middle School and Bluffton High School, Babkiewicz said.

He said EMS personnel went to the scene, but no serious injuries were reported.

School officials and the students’ parents were notified about the accident shortly after it happened, he said.

Jim Foster, spokesman for the Beaufort County School District, said the damage to the bus was minor.

This story was originally published November 13, 2018 at 8:52 AM.