Overturned bus closes Highway 138 alerting hospital
A Rockdale County school bus overturned on Old Salem Road in Conyers Friday evening, closing Highway 138 near Interstate 20 and prompting an Atlanta children’s hospital to prepare for a mass casualty event.
ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA. – Only one student remains hospitalized Saturday after a school bus carrying the Salem High School football team overturned near Interstate 20, injuring 25 people Friday night, according to school and state officials.
Salem High School Bus Crash
What we know:
A Rockdale County school bus crashed along Highway 138 near Interstate 20 while transporting the Salem High School football team home from an away game. The district confirmed the bus was carrying 27 people when it overturned.
“A Salem High School bus carrying 17 players, 7 coaches, 2 trainers and a driver was involved in a crash on Highway 138 near I-20,” the Rockdale County School District said in an initial statement. The crash left the bus with a shattered windshield, heavy front-end damage and a partially collapsed roof.
A total of 25 people on board were injured in the sinking. First responders airlifted one student to a trauma center, while arriving ambulances and parents transported other students and staff to various area hospitals. On Saturday, school officials confirmed that 24 patients had been treated and released, leaving only one student hospitalized.
According to the Georgia State Patrol, the 74-year-old bus driver lost control while exiting eastbound I-20, struck a car and rolled the bus into a ditch along the shoulder.
What we don’t know:
District officials have withheld the identity and specific medical condition of the student who remains hospitalized.
The Georgia State Patrol has not announced whether any citations or criminal charges will be filed in connection with the incident.
Emergency crews flood the intersection near Salem Road and SR 138 south of Interstate 20 in Rockdale County after an overturned school bus sparked a large multi-agency rescue operation late Friday evening, October 23, 2026 (GDOT/Georgia 511).
Community and hospital response
Local perspective:
Arthur M. Blank Children’s Hospital Atlanta went on standby for a possible mass casualty event immediately after the crash. First responders cordoned off the corridor near Old Salem Road as a heavy tow truck hoisted the bus off an embankment.
Authorities used an adjacent commercial parking lot to accommodate secondary buses. This served as a reunification point where uninjured students could contact their families and return home safely.
The source : The information in this article was gathered from the Rockdale County School District, the Georgia State Patrol and on-scene reporting from FOX 5 Atlanta. Editor’s note: This article was updated on Saturday, Oct. 24, to reflect revised patient numbers and hospital discharges confirmed by district officials.
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