Bus carrying Rome (Georgia) football team crashes and flips, injuring 11

Wolves were returning from a scrimmage with Rockmart when their bus collided with another vehicle

Rome City School bus flipped over late Thursday night after a scrimmage between Rome and Rockmart / Coosa Valley News

According to Rome City Schools (Georgia), a school bus carrying football players from Rome High School was involved in a collission with another vehicle late Thursday evening. The crash caused the bus to flip on its side, before it skid across the road, knocked down a utility pole and got entangled with power lines. The accident occurred while the team was returning to its school campus following a preseason scrimmage against Rockmart late Thursday night.

Update: 11:47 Update: All buses are back on the road and are heading to Rome High School. They will arrive in...

Posted by Coosa Valley News on Thursday, August 8, 2024

The school district issued the following statement via a social media post on Facebook:

"A school bus has been involved in a wreck on Highway 101 returning from the football scrimmage. All students and staff have been accounted for and emergency services are on the scene. We will provide updates as soon as they become available."

According to a report by Fox 5 Atlanta, the crash occurred shortly before 10:30 p.m. on Highway 101 near Doc Moates Road and Old Rome Road. That is about 2 miles northwest of Aragon. Local residents in the area told the station they witnessed the bus colliding with another vehicle, which was forced down an embankment, while the bus overturned and plowed into the utility pole. The accident knocked out power to more than 500 customers of Georgia Power.

The report further stated that 11 patients were transported to the Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center. The group included two adults and nine students and everyone is expected to recover from their injuries, according to hospital officials. Douglas Sutherland, a resident who heard the crash and scurried to the scene to help the victims escape the bus, described the injuries he saw.

"There were a bunch of cuts, lacerations or bruises," Sutherland told Fox 5 Atlanta. "I think one of them may have broken his ankle or something. The other one hurt his shoulder,"

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Rome City Schools posted an update around 11:45 p.m. stating all buses were back on the road and would be arriving back in Rome, Georgia in around 30 minutes.

Rome finished 11-2 last season in AAAAAA, falling to eventual state champion Thomas County Central 19-16 in the third round of the playoffs.

The Wolves, who are ranked No. 21 in the SBLive Georgia Power 25 preseason rankings, are scheduled to open up the 2024 season next Friday, at home, against Creekside.

Prayers for the Rome Wolves!

Their team bus rolled over on the way home from Rockmart. No word on injuries. 🙏

— NwGa Football (@NwGaFootball) August 9, 2024

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-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivega