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Last updated on Wednesday, October 21, 2015
(BEDFORD) - The bus from Harmony Schools in Bloomington was taking students on a field trip to Marengo Cave when a tire blew out causing the vehicle to turn on its side.
The Lawrence County Sheriff's Department dispatch center received multiple 911 calls at 9:40 a.m. Tuesday. The crash occurred on State Road 37 just south of Wesley Chapel Road, between Bedford and Mitchell.
The bus was southbound on State Road 37 when the tire blew, causing the bus to go into the median, turn on its side, and slide partially into the northbound lanes.
Two officers from the Lawrence County Sheriffs' Department, one IU Health ambulance, two Seals ambulances and the Marion Township Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene.
Air Evac air ambulance was called after the initial report, but was disregarded after first responders arrived on the scene and assessed the patients.
According to Sheriff Mike Branham, seven patients were transported to IU Health Bedford and four patients were transported to St. Vincent Dunn Hospital.
According to a Lawrence County Police Department accident report, injured were:
• Ella M. Polette, 17, Ellettsville, pain to her hip and upper leg.
• Gabe A. Bruner, 16, Bloomington, pain to his lower leg area.
• Elizabeth A. Auto, 16, Bloomington, pain to her upper arm and shoulder area.
• Lauran T. May, 14, Bloomington, pain to her upper arm and shoulder area.
• Alexander Ortizypino, 16, Bloomington, minor bleeding to his elbow and lower arm.
• Carter Larimer, 16, Bloomington, minor bleeding to his back.
• Eliot Vartian Foss, 17, Bloomington, minor bleeding to his elbow and lower arm.
• Nadia Grant, 16, Bloomington, possible head injury.
• Milo Roeder, 15, Bloomington, pain to his back.
• Autume Snyder, 17, Bloomington, pain to her back.
• Opal Hall, 17, Bloomington, minor bleeding to her knee, lower leg and foot.
The bus is one of two of Harmony's school buses and was equipped with seat belts. According to the accident report, the driver, 39-year-old Emily D. Sprowls of Bloomington, was wearing a seat belt, but none of the students were.
Seven of them were taken to Indiana University Health Bedford Hospital, and four were taken to St. Vincent Dunn Hospital. Sprowls, who was also the students' teacher, was not injured and went to St. Vincent Dunn Hospital as well.
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