KENT COUNTY, Mich. — A bus crashed in Kent County with three children being taken to the hospital, the Sheriff's Office said.
The bus was filled with 12 children who go to a private daycare, deputies said.
The crash happened on Pettis Avenue and 5 Mile Road. Police said that a black BMW Sedan ran the stop sign going west-bound, hitting the bus that was traveling northbound, casing the bus to roll over.
Police stated that the three children taken to the hospital experienced minor injuries.
"As soon as I heard it, I instantly knew it was a crash," said John Smallfield who lives in the neighborhood where the crash occurred.
"I literally came, grabbed the coat, and ran out here and saw the bus upside down, the car smashed in, and then I saw people pull out little kids out of the back and I went to the back of it, helped pull some of the kids out," Smallfield said as he described several adults coming out to make sure the children were safe.
Police at the scene said one child was taken to a hospital in an ambulance along with one adult who was in the bus. Another child was taken privately to a hospital, as police later confirmed three children in total were taken to the hospital.
"We're absolutely fortunate that the injuries were very minor. Obviously all the safety precautions that are built into the bus and the car worked as they were intended to do," said Sergeant Andrew Kozal from the Kent County Sheriff's Office.
"We established a reunification location and each parent was reunited with their children. All the children seemed to be, after the crash, in pretty good spirits concerning to what they had just gone through," added Kozal, who also said parents came to the scene to pick up their children, with the daycare sending another bus to provide the children with a warm space.
Smallfield became emotional as he recalled the concern him and the other adults had for the children.
"I was shook up quite a bit, a just thinking about it worries me. When little kids are in danger, it really tugs at you, and I was just trying to calm the kids down and make sure they were okay," said Smallfield.
Smallfield also hopes that something can be done to make the road that goes through his neighborhood more safe, wanting to lower the speed limit.
"Those of us who live here know that most people speed here," he said as he added, "most of them drive faster than 50."
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