School bus driver, four students taken to hospital after car runs red light in DeKalb County

A crash involving a DeKalb County school bus and two other vehicles sent a bus driver and four students to the hospital Thursday morning, authorities said.

The accident happened around 6:53 a.m. at the intersection of Clairmont Road and Clairmont Way, according to the Brookhaven Police Department.

The DeKalb County School District bus was carrying students from Montclair Elementary School at the time of the crash.

Investigators say the bus was traveling on Century Boulevard and attempting to cross Clairmont Road onto Clairmont Way when another vehicle ran a red light and struck the bus.

After the initial collision, the bus hit a second vehicle and wound up on an embankment along Clairmont Road, police said.

The bus driver and at least one of the students who were taken by ambulance to a local hospital were believed to have non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.

The DeKalb County School District said there were 29 students on board the bus. School police worked to coordinate with parents and moved students to a nearby location where they could be evaluated.

The remaining students were safely reunited with parents or taken to school, authorities said.

In a statement, the district thanked emergency crews for their response.

"We are grateful to first responders and law enforcement for their quick response and care for our students and driver," the district said. 

Police cited the driver believed to be responsible for the crash for failure to obey a traffic control device.

Tow trucks were later called to remove the damaged vehicles from the scene.