No students were injured when a Fannin County school bus collided with a pickup truck early Wednesday morning, October 26, in Blue Ridge.
According to Sergeant First Class Jason Bradburn of Georgia State Patrol Post 27 in Blue Ridge, the crash occurred when a 2019 Freightliner school bus was attempting to turn left onto Georgia 2 (Highway 515) from Georgia 5 at the McDonald’s intersection. The bus was driven by Rodney Ensley of Blue Ridge.
A 2006 Dodge Dakota, driven by David York of Copperhill, was traveling north on West First Street.
Bradburn said the school bus failed to yield and traveled into the path of the pickup, which struck the school bus on the passenger side with its front end.
Ensley was issued a citation for Failure to Yield While Turning Left, Bradburn said.
Fannin County School Superintendent Dr. Michael Gwatney said there were 24 students on the bus that was headed from West Fannin Elementary to Fannin County Middle school.
Gwatney said, “Both school district personnel and public safety officials were on scene almost immediately. I am grateful for our Fannin Fire and EMS personnel. They did an outstanding job checking on all of our students.
“I also appreciate how the school resource officers and the Blue Ridge city police kept the scene safe while our students were transferred to another bus to continue on to school. We are blessed to live in a community where resources come together quickly to help when there is a need.”
Trooper First Class Ethan Hajnal investigated the crash that was reported to the Fannin County 911 dispatch center at 7:41 a.m.