No injuries reported

A Polk County School bus flipped down an embankment early this morning after the road gave way, according to Polk County School officials.

The accident occurred just after 6:30 a.m. on Burgess Road off Coopers Gap Road in the Sunny View community.

Officials with the Polk County Schools Administrative office said the bus was early on the route and had four students onboard; two Polk County Middle School students and two Polk County High School students. The driver, whose name has not been released, pulled over to let a vehicle pass on the gravel road and the bus overturned.

Polk County School Superintendent Bill Miller said it is uncommon for a bus to meet another vehicle on Burgess Road and that is what happened in this case. The bus pulled over to let another car by and the road gave way underneath, causing the bus to overturn and flip down an embankment.

School officials said the driver performed calmly and admirably and got all the students off the bus safely.

All students were taken to the hospital to be observed with no major injuries reported. The bus driver did not seek medical attention, according to Miller.

“We’re so fortunate no one was hurt,” Miller said.

Miller said he would describe the students’ injuries as bumps and bruises. All students were released to their parents.

The last school bus accident in Polk County occurred in the 2004-2005 school year when a bus hit a rock that was sticking out of an embankment in the Holbert’s Cove Road area. No one was injured in that accident.