HARMAN  —  Randolph County Schools officials confirmed on Thursday that no students sustained any serious injuries as a result of a motor vehicle accident involving one of the county’s schools buses.

At approximately 3:20 p.m. on Wednesday, emergency personnel were called to the scene of a two-vehicle, head-on collision on Route 33 at the Whitmer Road entrance just before Harman. Once on scene, first responders were altered that a Randolph County School bus was involved in the accident.   

“A school bus transporting students was struck by a passenger vehicle after another vehicle failed to stop at a stop sign, triggering a chain reaction that led to the bus being struck,” Randolph County School’s Superintendent Shawn Dilly said in a press release Thursday. “Randolph County emergency services responded promptly to the scene.”

Dilly said that all the students on board the bus were examined by paramedics and released into the custody of their parents or guardians.    

“Out of an abundance of caution, all students on the bus were examined by paramedics,” Dilly said. “Families were the scene or to sign a refusal form based on their individual concerns about the incident. All students were ultimately released safely into the custody of their parents or guardians.”

Randolph County Schools Director of Facilities/Maintenance, Transportation, and School Safety Nick Alfred talked about the incident and the damage that was done to the bus. 

“Our bus driver was pulling up and coming to a stop to make a turn and a vehicle pulled out of Whitmer Road in front of another vehicle, hit it, and then ricocheted into the bus,” Alfred told The Inter-Mountain on Thursday. “Some of the exterior panels on the driver’s side of the bus were damaged, but it was nothing major.  

Alfred said he spoke with Harman K-12 personnel Thursday morning regarding the students’ well-being.”

“Nobody was transported to the hospital, but a few parents elected to take their children to get checked out later on,” Alfred said. “The Principal (Harman K-12) reported to me that there were just a couple minor sprains.”

Dilly commended the bus driver for their calm, professional, and decisive actions, which helped minimize the situation and ensure student safety. The driver followed established safety protocols and responded exactly as trained.

“The district extends sincere appreciation to Randolph County emergency personnel and local fire departments for their rapid and professional response,” Dilly wrote in the press release. “The cooperation and understanding shown by families during the incident are also greatly appreciated. Student safety remains the highest priority for Randolph County Schools, and the district will continue to work closely with local agencies to ensure safe, reliable transportation for all students.”

The Harman Fire Department, Whitmer Fire Department, Randolph County Emergency Squad, and West Virginia State Police were all on the scene of the accident.