18 students, driver on board Magoffin Co. school bus during crash, officials say

MAGOFFIN COUNTY, Ky. (WYMT) - Update #3:

In a Monday afternoon news conference with Magoffin County Judge-Executive Matt Wireman, Magoffin County Superintendent Chris Meadows, and Kentucky State Police Post 9 Public Affairs Officer Trooper Matt Coleman, we received more details about the crash.

KSP troopers were notified of the crash off of KY-40 at about 7:21 a.m. Monday morning. The initial investigation indicates that the bus was driving westbound when it ran off an embankment with 18 students and the driver on board. The students ranged from elementary aged to high school age and injuries ranged from minor to critical. Most students were taken to ARH Paul D. Hall in Paintsville and Pikeville Medical Center.

Trooper Coleman said in a news conference, “The initial investigation indicates the school bus was traveling West bound on Kentucky route 40 when it edited the roadway and went over an embankment. The driver and 18 children ranging from elementary, middle, and high school were all on the bus as the time of collision.”

Superintendent Meadows also spoke at the news conference, “This is not something you ever want to deal with as a school personnel. Those kids come to us, and they become our kids, and to see that and deal with that it’s a tough part of the business,” he said.

Meadows said there will be councilors available to students all week if students need to talk.

Update #2: Officials with Magoffin County Schools have released new information about the Magoffin County bus crash.

In a Facebook post, district officials confirm 18 students, and the driver were on Bus 2030 during the crash.

No deaths are being reported.

The number of injured students or the extent of their injuries is still not known at this time.

KYTC officials tell WYMT Route 40 will be shut down at least four more hours.

Update: We are learning more about what happened in an early morning school bus crash in Magoffin County.

Salyersville Fire Chief Paul Howard tells WYMT the number of people on the bus is still uncertain, but most of those who were injured were taken to Paintsville ARH. We are still not sure where those who were flown out were taken.

We also are still trying to figure out how bad the injuries are on those who were taken to Paintsville and those who were flown out.

Kentucky State Police troopers tell us the bus was traveling westbound on Route 40 at the time of the crash, but are still not sure what caused it.

Original Story:

We are following a developing story out of Magoffin County.

Magoffin County Emergency Management officials said a school bus crashed on Route 40 near Mine Fork Road.

We are told the bus went down an embankment with students on board. Magoffin County Judge-Executive Matt Wireman told WYMT multiple students are injured along with the driver.

Wireman said all the students on board the bus and the driver were taken from the scene to area hospitals.

Governor Andy Beshear offered his condolences on Facebook Monday morning.

WYMT’s Olivia Calfee, who is in Magoffin County, tells us Kentucky State Police have taken over the scene and the investigation. Trooper Michael Coleman, the PIO for the Pikeville KSP post, is there and tells us Route 40 will likely be shut down for several hours as crews try to remove the bus from the site of the crash.

No word yet on how many students are on board.

Our sister station WKYT reports three people were flown from the scene by helicopter, we do not know the extent of their injuries.

Other agencies are responding from surrounding counties.

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