VALDOSTA – A dramatic video filmed moments after a fatal Interstate 75 crash involving a Lowndes High School bus shows students and motorists trying to rescue injured students and shows the driver of a tractor-trailer explain that he became distracted and “drifted” into the bus.
At approximately 3:15 p.m., the Georgia State Patrol responded to an accident in the southbound lanes on Interstate 75 near Exit 16. The crash involved a tractor-trailer carrying an over-sized load of metal beams and a Lowndes County School bus carrying approximately 30 students from Lowndes High School to Lowndes Middle School, according to GSP reports.
Video posted to Facebook shows the moments following the wreck before emergency services arrived. Students and motorists can been seen trying to rescue other students who had been injured when metal beams from the tractor trailer tore a hole in the rear of the school bus.
At the end of the video, Michael Scarpaci, 58, a truck driver from Lockport, Illinois said he was distracted when the accident occurred. “I drifted,” Scarpaci said. “I was trying to catch what was falling down. I looked up and drifted.”
Thirteen children were transported by ambulance to South Georgia Medical Center for treatment of injuries sustained in the crash. An additional six children were transported by private vehicles to South Georgia Medical Center for treatment.
Rebecca Hall, 15, of Valdosta later died at SGMC as the result of her injuries.
The GSP Specialized Reconstruction Team is investigating the incident. Both drivers have consented to drug and alcohol testing, but investigators do not believe they were factors in the incident. Charges will be pending until the investigation is complete.
Click here to read more details from the Georgia State Patrol.
*Editor’s Note: The embeded Facebook video detailed in this article has been removed following concerns expressed by readers. While the video does not show graphic detail, it is jarring and dramatic in what it depicts. A link to the video has been included to verify claims made in the article.
