The Georgia State Patrol has released the names of the drivers injured in Thursday afternoon’s crash involving a Habersham County School bus. They are Christopher Hoose, 40, of Alto; Amy Boling, 45, of Commerce; and bus driver Deborah Crane, 68, of Clarkesville.
The wreck happened around 4 p.m. on April 25 on GA 385 (Historic Hwy. 441/West Louise Street) in Clarkesville.
GSP preliminary report
According to the Georgia State Patrol’s preliminary report, Hoose was driving a Dodge Caravan south on GA 385 when he rear-ended a southbound Jeep Wrangler driven by Boling. Troopers say Boling was stopped, and the Caravan was “following too closely.”
After the initial impact, the Dodge Caravan veered into the northbound lane and collided with the front of the school bus, causing the van to overturn.
Callers reported the wreck to Habersham County E-911 and reported one person was trapped inside the van, says the county’s public safety spokesperson, Rob Moore.
According to Habersham County Assistant School Superintendent Patrick Franklin, no children were on the bus at the time of the accident. A 6-year-old boy was riding in the Caravan with Hoose.
Statement from Habersham Schools
Assistant Superintendent Patrick Franklin said that the Habersham County Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Director of School Safety, and Director of Bus Transportation all responded to the scene and assisted with the coordination of contacting parents and ensuring that involved family members were promptly notified of the situation.
Franklin stated, “No students were on board the bus at the time of the accident. One juvenile, who was in one of the other vehicles, was treated for minor injuries and released to parents at the scene.”
Franklin wanted to thank the First Responders and the Habersham County 911 Dispatchers who assisted with this unfortunate event. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to all involved and we pray for a speedy recovery from any injuries sustained.”
Road shut down for hours
Multiple law enforcement agencies and emergency personnel responded to the wreck. Police shut down the road near the crash site for more than two hours as medics tended to patients and state troopers investigated the crash.
Moore says Habersham County Emergency Services transported all three drivers to the hospital by ambulance.
Habersham County Animal Care and Control responded to assist with an animal in one of the vehicles until a family member arrived to take custody of it. Police reopened the road by about 6:15 p.m. Thursday.
Troopers from Georgia State Patrol Post 7 in Toccoa investigated the wreck. They cited Hoose for following too closely and failing to maintain the lane.
