Fatal crash involving school bus near Austin, Texas

Two individuals, including a young child, lost their lives, and numerous others sustained injuries in a devastating collision on Friday afternoon. The incident occurred on Highway 21 in Bastrop County, Texas, to the east of Austin, as confirmed by state authorities.

According to Sergeant Deon Cockrell of the Texas Department of Public Safety, the calamitous event transpired around 2 p.m. local time when a concrete truck unexpectedly veered into the path of the school bus, resulting in a collision.

Tragically, among the casualties was a young boy who was traveling on the school bus, along with an individual in a third vehicle trailing behind. As of the latest update, the identities of the deceased have not been made public.

The Hays Consolidated Independent School District issued a statement confirming that the school bus was ferrying pre-K students from Tom Green Elementary School back from a field trip to the Bastrop Zoo at the time of the accident. The bus was carrying a total of 44 students and 11 adults.

Emergency responders swiftly evaluated 53 individuals at the scene, as disclosed by Kevin Parker, division chief for Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services. In addition to the fatalities, four critically injured patients were airlifted to nearby medical facilities, while six others were transported by ground ambulance.

Authorities refrained from speculating on the exact cause of the collision or the possibility of charges being filed, emphasizing that an investigation is ongoing. Expressing condolences, Senator John Cornyn of Texas urged solidarity in supporting the affected children, educators, and families during this grievous period.