Walter Hackett was behind the wheel Friday night when things went wrong near I-20 and Highway 138 in Rockdale County, Georgia. The 74-year-old from Conyers drove a school bus packed with Salem High School students. Troopers got the call around 10:48 p.m.
Hackett exited I-20 eastbound. He tried to turn right onto Highway 138. Then he lost control of the bus. It crossed the southbound lanes and the northbound lanes. The bus struck a Kia Soul. Calvin Harling, 35, from Covington, was driving that car.
After the hit, the bus left the road. It overturned and almost made a full spin. It stopped on its passenger side. One student got airlifted to a hospital right away.
Rockdale County Schools said 22 students and three staff members went to the hospital. Both drivers also went to the hospital. The bus had been full of students heading back to Salem High School.
Georgia State Patrol called in its Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team. The Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division joined the investigation too. They are looking into every detail of how the crash happened.
Families waited for news as ambulances and a helicopter moved the injured. The scene stayed busy late into the night. Roads near the crash stayed blocked while crews worked.
The crash left many people hurt. Officials continue to dig into the cause. No one has said yet what made Hackett lose control on that exit.
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