Parents are complaining about how Long County Schools handled a bus accident Monday morning.

Officials confirmed that a bus, carrying students, ran into a vehicle, but say it was a minor accident.

Scotty Hattaway, director of support services for the Long County School System, said the bus was approaching the intersection of North Macon and West Oglethorpe Highway about 7 a.m. A vehicle in turned onto the highway in front of the bus. The bus driver was inching forward, but, Hattaway said, the vehicle stopped suddenly. The driver hit the rear of the vehicle causing scratches on its bumper.  

According to Hattaway, the school bus was not damaged. He said a school resource officer was dispatched and determined the incident to be minor and released the bus.

Hattaway said when students arrived at their respective elementary and middle schools they were seen by school nurses as a precaution.

He said the nurses evaluated the children, and the children were asked to sign a document stating if they were injured or not.

Hattaway said a few students complained of headaches.

He said, to the best of his knowledge, parents were called regarding any students who said they felt any discomfort after they were checked it by a nurse.

But there are parents who say they were never notified of the accident. They are criticizing how the matter was handled.

Tiffany Westmoreland has two children, ages 6 and 9, who were on the bus.

“My daughter was injured,” she said. “She has a neck sprain and they think she has a concussion.”

Westmoreland said her daughter will need more checkups and that her daughter hit her head twice. She said her daughter was jolted forward into the seat in front of her, then backward into the back of her seat.

“There are witnesses who say she hit her head hard,” Westmoreland said. “And there were other parents in this neighborhood who were not notified.”

Westmoreland also said her daughter told her she was not evaluated by a school nurse, but was asked to sign the statement.

After signing, the girl went to class but later went back to the nurse, complaining of a headache. It was only then, Westmoreland said, that she received a call from the school nurse.

The Courier will update this story as more information becomes available.