Police investigating incident on Severn Twp. school bus, parents demand accountability

Provincial police are investigating an incident involving a school bus in Severn Township Tuesday afternoon that sent one student to hospital.

Provincial police are investigating an incident involving a school bus carrying children through Severn Township Tuesday afternoon that sent one student to hospital with a broken nose.

What started out as a bumpy school bus ride home, turned into horrifying moments in Washago as several children said they were injured when the school bus they were riding hit a well-known bump in the road minutes from the end of their route.

Parents told CTV News their children reported the incident to the school, bus company, and police. The moments leading up to the incident were recorded on a cell phone and now families are demanding answers from the Simcoe County School Transportation Consortium, which is responsible for getting about 36,000 students across the region to and from school every day.

“She’s traumatized,” said the mother of the girl, who wished not to be identified. The woman said her daughter sustained a broken nose after it’s alleged the bus driver sped up ahead of a bump along Agnew Road. The woman said another child asked the bus driver to speed up and she obliged.

The woman said her child spent Tuesday evening in the emergency department at Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital. “She doesn’t even want to ride the bus. She can’t go to school. She generally wears glasses, she can’t wear her glasses, they don’t fit on her nose because it’s so swollen. I’m still shaking, my daughter can’t sleep. She can’t really eat; she’s got liquids because her mouth is sore. Her nose is still bleeding.”

The child said she is upset with the driver and does not remember much of the incident after hitting her head.

“I just remember going up in the air and then me on the floor.” She said the driver did not stop the bus to check on her or acknowledge what happened.

“My friend gave me tissues, she’s like ‘My God, your nose is bleeding.’”

Another child suffered a cut to her tongue; several kids were sobbing. A woman, whose child recorded the incident on her phone, said she was stunned to see the children hurt when they got off the bus.

“I saw two other students come off. They looked kind of pale faced and then my kids got off and they were crying.” The mother said she was shocked when she saw the video her child recorded, including pleas for the driver to slow down on the bumpy road. “I am kind of in disbelief however, my daughter had mentioned a few times in the past that the bus goes too fast over a specific bump in the road, and I kind of was putting all the pieces together in my mind.”

Provincial Police confirmed an investigation is underway. Parents want answers and accountability from the school bus consortium.

“The bus driver didn’t contact us. The story changed, at first, we were told that she had slipped getting onto the bus and then we were told afterwards that it was the bump. She put my daughter at risk. She’s going to require surgery possibly. She can’t breathe out of the one nostril at all. This happened on Tuesday and she’s still got a bloody nose today.”

Sharp Bus Lines is aware of the incident that happened.

“We are actively investigating this event and will, as always, follow all procedures to ensure the safety of the students we transport. We are cooperating with law enforcement and supporting the investigation process. The safety and well-being of the children entrusted to our care remains our highest priority. We prioritize safety above all,” said Sharp Bus Lines in a statement to CTV News. “Out of respect for those involved, we hope the community will approach this situation with care while the investigative process continues.”

The status of the driver still remains unclear.

Police are asking anyone with information in the case to come forward as investigators continue to collect witness statements.