1 dead in Marion County crash involving school bus, FHP says

Officials are currently on the scene of a fatal crash involving a school bus and a pickup truck in Marion County on Wednesday, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.The FHP originally reported that two buses were involved in the crash, but Marion County Fire Rescue has confirmed that it was one bus.The crash happened at the intersection of State Road 40 and Southeast 177th Avenue, troopers said.State Road 40 in Marion County has been shut down since around 3 p.m. Marion County Fire Rescue crews worked to remove a 76-year-old man from Silver Springs from the pickup truck involved in the collision. He was listed as a trauma alert and taken to a hospital, where he has since died.Four students, ages 5 to 10, were on the school bus at the time of the crash. The bus was dropping children off at school to end the day. All of the students were uninjured. Law enforcement remains on the scene as the investigation into the crash continues. Authorities are working to determine how the collision occurred and who was at fault. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the school bus was heading east on State Road 40 and attempted to make a left turn. Investigators said the bus failed to yield and collided with the pickup truck.Deputies are asking those in the area to use alternate routes while emergency crews are on scene. >> This is a developing story and will be updated as new information is released. String of recent bus crashes in Central FloridaA string of school bus-related incidents in Florida last month has raised questions about student safety. In Marion County, a truck rear-ended a school bus and drove off, injuring nine students. Troopers said the suspected driver was later arrested. In Lake County, a viewer shared video footage of a school bus swerving into oncoming traffic while students were on board. The district is now providing the driver with additional training. In Sumter County, school bus driver Yvonne Hampton was arrested after her bus was clipped by a train with students on board. According to the arrest report, Hampton drove over the railroad crossing after the warning lights were activated and the crossing arms had begun to come down. Hampton is now facing 29 felony counts of child neglect.