MARION COUNTY, Fla. — A Gainesville police officer was seriously injured Friday morning after his marked patrol SUV crashed into the rear of a stopped Marion County school bus in Ocala, according to preliminary information from authorities.
The crash happened around 6:55 a.m. at Southwest 49th Avenue Road and Southwest 82nd Place Road. The bus was southbound in the outside lane with its flashing lights activated and stop signs extended as it prepared to pick up students.
What happened
An off-duty Gainesville Police Department officer, driving his assigned marked Ford Explorer, was traveling southbound behind the bus. Investigators said the officer failed to see the stopped bus, and the front of the patrol vehicle struck the bus’s rear.
The bus was serving Hammett Bowen Jr. Elementary School, according to Marion County Public Schools.
Injuries
There were 13 students aboard, along with the 37-year-old bus driver and a 54-year-old bus aide. A 9-year-old student, the driver and the aide were taken to AdventHealth Ocala with minor injuries.
The officer sustained what authorities described as very serious injuries and was transported to HCA Florida Ocala Hospital.
Investigation
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. Further details, including the officer’s identity and whether charges may be filed, had not been released as of Friday morning.
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