HARLAN COUNTY, KY — Ten high school students and the driver of a Honda SUV were taken to hospitals Thursday after a crash involving a school bus in Harlan County. Kentucky State Police said the bus was carrying 23 high school students when it collided with the passenger vehicle at the Rosspoint intersection along U.S. 119.
Officials said the bus driver was also taken to a hospital for evaluation, following district policy. Another student was taken in by a parent. State police said none of the injuries is believed to be life-threatening, and investigators are still working to determine exactly what led to the collision.
How the crash happened at Rosspoint
Harlan County Public Schools said the crash occurred Thursday morning at the meeting point of U.S. 119 and KY 522 in Rosspoint. In an update later in the day, state police said the school bus had been pulling out from KY 522 and trying to turn left onto northbound U.S. 119 when it moved into the path of the Honda.
The collision involved a Honda passenger vehicle and the district bus carrying the students. The location is a busy roadway connection in the county, and officials have not released any additional details about speed, traffic control or weather conditions at the time of the crash.
Students and driver sent to area hospitals
Emergency medical services transported the Honda driver and nine of the students to area hospitals, police said. A tenth student was taken separately by a parent. The bus driver was also checked at a hospital as part of the standard evaluation process after the crash.
Authorities have not released the names or ages of those involved. The number of people on the bus at the time, however, shows how many students were exposed to the crash in a single moment and why multiple ambulances and family support were involved in the response.
Officials say no injuries are believed to be life-threatening
Kentucky State Police said none of the injuries is believed to be life-threatening. That update offered some reassurance after a morning collision involving a bus full of teenagers, a private vehicle and emergency transport to hospitals in the area.
Even with that initial assessment, officials did not rule out further medical care. Hospital checks can still be needed after a crash when symptoms develop later or when responders want to monitor people more closely, especially in an incident involving several passengers at once.
School district and state police response
Harlan County Public Schools confirmed the crash soon after it happened, and Kentucky State Police later described how the bus entered the SUV’s path while making the turn. The district’s involvement in the response also included the decision to send the bus driver for evaluation under policy.
State police are leading the investigation, and they have said it remains ongoing. At this stage, officials have not announced any citations or charges, and they have not said whether the crash will lead to changes in traffic procedures at the intersection.
What remains under investigation after the Thursday morning wreck
Several basic questions are still unanswered, including whether anyone on the bus or in the Honda will need additional treatment. Police have not said what factors, beyond the turning movement described in their update, may have contributed to the collision.
LEX18 described the case as developing, and state police have asked anyone with information, photos or video to share them with the newsroom. For now, the main facts are clear: a school bus, an SUV and a busy Harlan County intersection combined in a crash that sent 11 people to medical care, including 10 students.