JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- An early morning crash on the city's westside sent several students to the hospital instead of the classroom.
It happened Wednesday on Collins Road at Roosevelt Boulevard around 7:00 a.m.
A school bus packed full with children was making the rounds to area bus stops. They were on their way to Chimney Lakes Elementary School when the bus and a white pick-up truck collided.
As crews worked to investigate on Collins Road, the kids were piled on to a second bus and moved across the street to the 84 Lumber parking lot.
JFRD District Chief Darin Hooten says there, each child was checked out by rescue workers.
"Our firefighters went one by one with each kid on the bus and asked if they had any complaints regarding injuries," he said.
Eight elementary kids on board did complain of minor injuries, so Hooten says for safety reasons, they were moved again, onto ambulances and taken to area hospitals.
As the check-ups were under way, Chimney Lakes' Assistant Principal arrived on the scene to determine who was hurt and where they were headed to alert their parents.
"Usually we are contacting the school board either on the phone or somebody from the school board shows up but evidentially they had someone close by who has a cell phone and showed up here to find out where their kids were going," Hooten said.
The rest of the children on board were taken to school on their new bus, with their Assistant Principal in tow. A little late, but as they waved out the bus windows, they appeared to be okay with that.
Traffic was tied up on both Roosevelt and Collins in the heart of rush hour while crews worked to clear the scene.
No word on the official cause of that accident yet or if any driver will be charged.
